Tyrannidae

Tyrannidae

[tə′ran·ə‚dē]

(vertebrate zoology)

The tyrant flycatchers, a family of passeriform birds in the suborder Tyranni confined to the Americas.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Tyrannidae

 

(tyrant flycatchers), a family of birds of the order Passeriformes. The length is 7.6–40 cm. The bill, which usually is flattened, has bristles at the base and, sometimes, a hook at the tip. The wings are short and broad, or they are elongated and pointed. The coloration is most commonly gray, brown, or greenish. Individuals with white, yellow, or red plumage are infrequently encountered.

There are 365 species of tyrant flycatchers, distributed in the Americas (except the extreme north) and on the Galápagos and Falkland islands. Many species are migratory. Most tyrant flycatchers are arboreal, although some species remain on the ground. The birds build various kinds of nests. Some nest in tree hollows, and others in holes in the ground. The nests may be open or closed; some are hanging. A clutch contains two to six eggs, which are incubated by the female for 12 to 19 days. The diet consists of insects and berries and, in some species, small vertebrates.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.