Fork-Tailed Flycatcher. Fauna Cuiabana. Cuiabá Basin Fauna Project (CBFP) Pages

One of the interesting things about biology is convergent evolution.  And one of the interesting things that I found today was that convergent evolution can be macro or micro and not just macro - species appearing similar across different parts of the globe.

The Fork-Tailed Flycatcher is one example.  Evolutionary  biologists may correct me regarding this and they are most welcome to do so. To me, the Fork-Tailed Flycatcher looks very like the Paradise Flycatcher of África and Asia.  These majestic songbirds have tail trains ten-times the length of their body.

I saw one today over Avenida Rubens de Mendonça, the main street in Cuiabá.  Whoever came to see the World Cup here will know it.

It is classified thus:

• Kingdom Animalia
• Phylum Chordata
• Class Aves
• Order Passeriformes (the songbirds or perching birds)
• Family Tyrannidae
• Subfamily Tyranninae
• Genus Tyrannus
• Species Tyrannus savana.

It is common and widespread and quite beautiful.

Happy birding!