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| A male Vermilion Flycatcher |
The Vermilion Flycatcher, scientifically known as Pyrocephalus rubinus is a small flycatching bird. These birds are mainly found in Mexico, the southwestern united states, central Argentina and the Galápagos islands. These Vermilion flycatchers are often found in arid lands but usually stay near bodies of water.
These birds are one of the most striking of all the other flycatchers. The male and female Vermilion Flycatchers look very different from one another. With the male’s black wings and mask, red belly and cap, it is very easy to distinguish him from any other type of bird. The females on the other hand, have peach colored bellies, and dark grey upper sides.
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| Female |
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| Male |
These birds stick out from the other flycatchers in the way that the males try to court the females. When the male flycatchers want to mate, they will bring a beautiful butterfly, or other elegant insects to the females. They do this as a way to show off to the females and get their attention.
These birds are known to feed entirely on insects such as: beetles, flies, wasps, grasshoppers, and many others. To hunt they use the process of hawking. These birds sit on an exposed perch and wait for insects to fly around. Once they have spotted something they like, the flycatchers will sail out and capture the insects in the air. These birds will also drop and hover above the ground to wait for insects to come out of the soil. It is interesting, because these birds will eat the entire insect, and the indigestible parts of the bugs are later coughed up as pellets.
The Vermilion Flycatcher is a favorite amongst birders and birdwatchers. They love to observe the beautiful color of these birds, and they also like to witness the birds flying through the air and catching insects. These birds are not often found in captivity because they males tend to lose their vibrant red colors. The more these birds come in contact with humans, and the more they remain in captivity, the more color they tend to lose.
There are twelve recognized subspecies of the Vermilion Flycatcher. The subspecies have different colored wings and different shades of colors on their bodies. Some of the subspecies have many similar characteristics and is very difficult to tell the difference between some of them. Out of the twelve subspecies, people think that the ones that live on the Galápagos islands are highest ranked, and prettiest ones.
With a large population, estimating between 5 million and 50 million, the Vermilion Flycatcher is listed to be a species of least concern. However, this species has been declining for quite some time. Some of the subspecies are known to be in trouble, and one in particular is thought to be extinct.
The species that live on the Galapagos islands are believed to be "higher ranked" due to the fact that they have a well established place on their natural food chain. Meaning, that their environment has been so uninterrupted by invasive species in the past that the native species have become experts at what they do. This may be why some species outside of the Galapagos are going extinct or are considered "inferior" because of their new inability to act in their natural home because of too much outside interference.
ReplyDeleteThe species that live on the Galapagos Islands are believed to be the prettiest and higher ranked than species living in other areas because they inhabit an protected area. The Galapagos Islands offer the best habitat to the Vermilion Flycatcher because of the little impact humans have. Human interaction with the environment is severely controlled, which allows them to have optimal conditions to feed and breed, which, in turn, creates a pretty and high ranked species.
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ReplyDeleteThe species that live on the Galapagos Islands are believed to be the prettiest and higher ranked than species living in other areas because there are very few invasive species affecting the Vermilion Flycatchers in the Galapagos. This gives them an advantage against the species in other locations that have to compete and deal with invasive species that take their resources.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the species that live on the Galápagos islands are believed to be the prettiest and higher ranked than species living in other areas due to the large amount of competetition for reproduction within their species. The bright plumage would be very useful for finding a mate and when deciding between two mates, the brighter the better. As a result of this interaction, I feel that the increased intraspecific competition that occurs on the island would contribute to making them the prettiest.
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