NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Tyrannus savana Daudin, 1802
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The fork-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus savana) is a passerine bird of the tyrant flycatcher family and is a member of a genus typically referred to as kingbirds. Named for the long, forked tail, particularly in males, fork-tailed flycatchers are seen in shrubland, savanna, lightly forested and grassland areas, from southern Mexico to Argentina. They are frequently observed on conspicuous perches whence they sally after insect prey. Northern populations near southern Mexico tend to be permanent residents, while fork-tailed flycatchers that live further south are migrants with a reputation for wandering as far north as New Brunswick, Canada.
Wikipedia contributors, Fork-tailed flycatcher; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:53:49.374956+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Tyrannus savana Daudin, 1802
- Name authority
- Daudin, 1802
- Common name
- Fork-tailed Flycatcher
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Tyrannus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyTyrannidae
- genusTyrannus Lacépède, 1799
- speciesTyrannus savana Daudin, 1802
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Tyrannus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| White-throated KingbirdTyrannus albogularis Burmeister, 1856 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Loggerhead KingbirdTyrannus caudifasciatus d'Orbigny, 1839 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Couch's KingbirdTyrannus couchii S. F. Baird, 1858 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Thick-billed KingbirdTyrannus crassirostris Swainson, 1826 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Giant KingbirdTyrannus cubensis Richmond, 1898 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gray KingbirdTyrannus dominicensis (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatus (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tropical KingbirdTyrannus melancholicus Vieillot, 1819 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cassin's KingbirdTyrannus vociferans Swainson, 1826 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Snowy-throated KingbirdTyrannus niveigularis P. L. Sclater, 1860 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus (Linnaeus, 1758) | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalis Say, 1822 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Tyrannus savana Vieillot, 1808 Vieillot, 1808 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
North America
South America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Daudin, F. M. (1802). Tableau des sous-classes, divisions, sous-divisions, ordres et genres des oiseaux. Histoire Naturelle Par Buffon Dédiée Au Citoyen Lacépède, Membre de l’Institut National, Vol. 14, Quadrupedes. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:CR6QB. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.