Flycatchers (Family Tyrannidae)

The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) are a family of passerine
birds which occur throughout North and South America, but are mainly
Neotropical in distribution. They are now considered the largest family
of birds on Earth, with around 400 species. In every country in the
Americas, except for the United States and Canada, they are the most
diverse avian family. As could be expected from a family this large, the
members vary greatly both in shape, patterns and colours.

Most, but not all, are rather plain, and many have erectile crests. As the
name implies, most are insectivorous, but some will eat fruit or small
vertebrates (e.g., small frogs). The smallest family members are the
closely related shorttailed pygmy tyrant and black-capped pygmy
tyrant. With a total length of a mere 6.5-6.8 cm (2.5-2.7 in) and a
weight of 4-5 grams, they are the smallest passerines on earth. The
largest tyrant flycatcher is the great shrike-tyrant at 29 cm (11.5 in)
and 88 grams (3.1 oz). A few species such as the streamertailed tyrant,
scissortailed flycatcher and forktailed flycatcher have a larger total
length, but this is mainly due to their very long tails.

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