{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{speciesbox | name = Satin flycatcher | image = Satinflycatcher1.jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 14 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2017 |title=''Myiagra cyanoleuca'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T22707403A118760627 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22707403A118760627.en |access-date=14 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Myiagra | species = cyanoleuca | authority = (Vieillot, 1818) | synonyms = * ''Platyrhynchos cyanoleucus'' }}
The '''satin flycatcher''' ('''''Myiagra cyanoleuca''''') is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. Males stand out with their blue-black feathers contrasting their white bellies, and the females with their bright orange throats. It breeds mostly in south-eastern Tasmania and Australia. It is declining throughout the eastern seaboard due to predation from the introduced Red Fox and habitat loss. It is a vagrant to New Zealand.
==Taxonomy and systematics== The satin flycatcher was originally described in the genus ''Platyrhynchos''. Alternate names include '''satin Myiagra''' and '''satin Myiagra-flycatcher'''. The name ''Myiagra'' is derived from the Ancient Greek '<nowiki />''muia''<nowiki />', meaning 'fly' (insect), and '<nowiki />''agreo'<nowiki />'', meaning 'seize' (thus, 'flycatcher').<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Myiagra Flycatchers (Genus Myiagra) |url=https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/8054-Myiagra |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=iNaturalist Australia |language=en}}</ref> ''Cyanoleuca'' is derived from '<nowiki />''cyanos' (''blue) and '<nowiki />''leucos''<nowiki />' (white).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-11-18 |title=Magpie-lark {{!}} Friends of Queens Park Bushland |url=https://www.friendsofqueensparkbushland.org.au/australian-magpie-lark/ |access-date=2022-03-16 |language=en-US}}</ref>
The satin flycatcher is a member of the Monarchidae family,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Australia |first=Atlas of Living |title=Species: Myiagra (Myiagra) cyanoleuca (Satin Flycatcher) |url=https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:77929aae-e7de-48dd-aac9-ba1080d28783 |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=bie.ala.org.au |language=en-AU}}</ref> or the Monarchs, which contains around 100 small, passerine, insectivorous birds.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Birds of The World: Monarch Flycatchers (Monarchidae) |url=https://carolinabirds.org/HTML/Flycatcher_Monarchidae.htm |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=carolinabirds.org}}</ref> The family stretches across much of the planet, with species living in Africa, Asia and the pacific amongst other areas.<ref name=":2" />
The genus ''Myiagra'' is distinct from other members of the Monarchidae family by their obvious sexual dimorphism, egg patterns, and unpatterned crests.<ref name=":1" /> Most have black bills, orange mouths, and the males have glossy, shiny feathers.<ref name=":1" /> The ''Myiagra'' genus are mainly distributed in the Australasia region, existing almost exclusively in Australia, New Zealand, and other pacific islands.<ref name=":1" />
The satin flycatcher is distinct from other flycatchers by the male's deep blue and white plumage, and the shiny 'satin' appearance of it. Other similar flycatchers include the Broad-billed flycatcher (''Myiagra ruficollis'') and the Leaden flycatcher (''Myiagra rubecula).'' The broad-billed flycatcher is similar in appearance to the female ''Myiagra cyanoleuca'' and has less distinct sexual dimorphism<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Broad-billed Flycatcher - Australian Birds - photographs by Graeme Chapman |url=https://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/viewphotos.php?c=178 |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=www.graemechapman.com.au}}</ref>'','' while the Leaden flycatcher appears even more similar, having the same colourations of ''Myiagra cyanoleuca's'' male to female dimorphisms.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=BirdLife Australia |title=Leaden Flycatcher|url=https://www.birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/leaden-flycatcher |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=www.birdlife.org.au |language=en}}</ref> The distributions of these species sets them apart; the Satin flycatcher is far more common in the south-east,<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Satin Flycatcher - Australian Birds - photographs by Graeme Chapman |url=https://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/viewphotos.php?c=184 |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=www.graemechapman.com.au}}</ref> whereas the other two flycatchers are distributed across Queensland and the Northern Territory.<ref name=":3" />
==Description== The satin flycatcher is a small bird, around 17 cm tall, and weighing around 17g.<ref name=":5" /> They have a small, sharp, pointed beak used for catching small invertebrates (insects). The species has sexually dimorphic characteristics; the male birds are a glossy black-blue colour, with a white belly and small crest upon their head, while the females are a dusty brown-grey colour with a bright orange chest and throat, and a white belly.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":4" /> They stand upright, and their tail feathers spread out to form a 'fan' shape.
==Distribution== The satin flycatcher is most common in south-eastern Australia, where it likes to breed in the warmer months, but will live year-round on the east-coast of Australia in New South Wales, Queensland, and even Papua New Guinea.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Myiagra cyanoleuca — Satin Flycatcher |url=https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=612 |access-date=16 March 2022 |website=Species Profile and Threats Database - Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment}}</ref> They also stretch along the southern coast of Australia into South Australia. They are vagrant to New Zealand.<ref name=":5" />
==Breeding== The satin flycatcher migrates to south-east Australia in November and remain there until early January to breed.<ref name=":4" /> They mate and remain in pairs over the breeding season, working together to raise their chicks. The Satin flycatcher prefers to lay their eggs in various ''Eucalyptus'' species in high branches (5-25m high), and often nest in similar areas to previous years.<ref name=":5" /> They lay two to three greenish blue with brown spotted eggs in a neat nest made of bark, spider's web and moss.
==References== {{Reflist}}{{Monarchidae|2}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1590333}}
satin flycatcher Category:Birds of New South Wales Category:Birds of South Australia Category:Birds of Tasmania Category:Birds of Victoria (state) satin flycatcher Category:Taxa named by Louis Pierre Vieillot Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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