FLYCATCHERS 
287 
Order — Passeriformes. Perching Birds 
The order Passeriformes , passerine or perching birds, is the largest and 
most important division of modern birds. The lower and more generalized 
types of birds have in the past been in the ascendant; but today the 
highly specialized Passeres are dominant; they 
constitute nearly if not quite half our present living 
forms and are put at the head of the classification 
by systematises. They are rather difficult to 
diagnose popularly, but they have a great number 
of characters common to themselves and not shared 
by other orders — the highly developed larynx, a 
singing organ, with complicated muscular control, 
for example. All are not notable singers, but 
all are equipped with song mechanism. Generally, a bird may be referred 
to this order by a process of elimination, as not belonging to any of the 
previous orders. The feet (Figure 395) are not webbed, the hind toe is 
nearly as long as the middle one, and the whole foot is well adapted for 
perching. The bill is hard and horny, without cere or soft base, and the 
nostril tubes do not communicate with each other as in some of the other 
orders. Two suborders are represented in Canada: Tyranni , the songless 
perchers; and Passeres , the song birds. 
SUBORDER— TYRANNI. SONGLESS PERCHERS 
This suborder is constituted upon a basis of anatomical structure. 
The name Songless Percher is not intended to indicate that the birds are 
silent, but that they are less tuneful than the Passeres, with a larynx less 
highly specialized. Only one family of this suborder occurs in Canada, 
the Tyrannidae or Tyrant Flycatcher. 
FAMILY— TYRANNIDAE. TYRANT FLYCATCHERS 
General Description. The Tyrant Flycatchers are most easily recognized among 
Canadian birds by their bills (Figure 396) which are comparatively long, somewhat 
flattened and broadened at the base, wider than high, and slightly hooked at the extreme 
tip. 
All Canadian flycatchers except the spectacular Scissor- tailed, which is only a very 
rare visitor in this country, the strongly marked Kingbirds, and the Crested Flycatcher, 
are birds of dull olive coloration, only lighten- 
ing or whitening on the breast, and without 
much colour variation. 
Field Marks. Easily recognized in life by 
their characteristic habits and attitudes, 
which soon become familiar to the discerning 
observer. When perching they usually sit in 
an upright attitude, quite still except for an 
occasional spasmodic jerking of the tail. On 
observing a passing insect they dash out and capture it in the air with a nimble evolution, 
and quick snap of the bill, and immediately return to their original station. 
Figure 396 
Bill of Flycatcher. 
The flycatchers are a most difficult family to identify specifically. 
A few of them are strongly characterized, but some of the commonest 
ones are so nearly alike as to puzzle the experienced ornithologist. In identi- 
fying flycatchers in life, attention should be paid to their voices. These 
and the type of habitat in which they are observed are good guides to 
differentiation in the case of the more puzzling species. 
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