Tropical Royal Flycatcher

Identification

The Tropical Royal Flycatcher is a small passerine, measuring 12.5–18 cm in length and weighing 9.7–21 g. Its most distinctive feature is an erectile, fan-shaped crest that differs between sexes: in males of the nominate subspecies, the crest is red with blue tips, while females display yellow or orange crests. Both sexes share similar plumage otherwise, with dark brown upperparts narrowly barred in black and buff, a cinnamon-rufous rump and tail, and a whitish throat contrasting with a warm buff breast bearing narrow black bars. Adults have a broken buffy eye ring and faint buffy cheek streak. The bill is dark brown to blackish above with a horn-colored to yellowish or orange lower mandible, and legs are dull yellow to orangish.

Subspecies vary noticeably: O. c. mexicanus is the largest with less barring and a more rufous tail; O. c. occidentalis is brightest, with buffy-brown tones and an unmarked breast; O. c. fraterculus is smaller with paler rump and tail; and O. c. castelnaui closely resembles the nominate but is slightly smaller with reduced back barring.