Pitangus sulphuratus
System : Terrestrial
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Animalia
Chordata
Aves
Passeriformes
Tyrannidae
- Not Evaluated
NE - No Alien Population
NA - Data Deficient
DD - Minimal Concern
MC - Minor
MN - Moderate
MO - Major
MR - Massive
MV
- General
- Distribution
- Impact
- Management
- Bibliography
- Contact
Common name
Bentevi (Portuguese), Tyran kiskidi (French), Tyran sulfureux (French), Tyran quiquivi (French), Tyran quesquildit (French), Moucherolle masqué (French), Bentevi (German), Grote kiskadie (Dutch), Naamioväijy (Finnish), Bentewi wielki (Polish), Kibaraootairanchou (Japanese), Pitango solforato (Italian), Bem-te-vi (Portuguese), Storkiskadi (Norwegian), Större kiskadi (Swedish), Bem-te-vi-verdadeiro (Portuguese), Bem-te-viu (Portuguese), Bem-te-vi-de-coroa (Portuguese), Triste-vida (Portuguese), Bentevi-de-coroa (Portuguese), Bem-te-vi-carrapateiro (Portuguese), Pitanguá (Portuguese), Pitauã (Portuguese), Pituã (Portuguese), Siririca (Portuguese), Bentevi-verdadeiro (Portuguese), Bem-te-vi-de-cabeça-rajada (Portuguese), Lord Derby's flycatcher (English), Kiskadee flycatcher (English), Derby flycatcher (English), Greater kiskaee (English), Great kiskadee (English), Pitogue (English), Luis grande (Spanish, Mexico), Luis bienteveo (Spanish, Mexico), Bienteveo grande (Spanish, Costa Rica), Cristofué (Spanish, Honduras), Pitogüé (Spanish, Paraguay), Tyran bentevi (Slovak), Postriežkár bentevi (Slovak), Güis común (Spanish, Nicuragua), Pitangua (English), Schwefelmaskentyrann (German), Kiskadie (Danish), Benteveo (Spanish, Argentinia, Bolivia, Chile), Tyran bentevi (Czech), Great Kiskadee (English), Benteví (Portuguese), Bichofué (Spanish, Columbia), Kiskadì maggiore (Italian), Benteveo común (Spanish, Argentinia, Uruguay)
Synonym
Lanius sulphuratus
Lanius sulphuratus ,Linnaeus, 1766
Lanius sulphuratus ,Linnaeus, 1766
Similar species
Summary
Notes
While the genus Pitangus is monotypic, there are a number of described P. sulphuratus subspecies: P. sulphuratus argentinus (Todd, 1952), P. sulphuratus bolivianus (Lafresnaye, 1852), P. sulphuratus caucensis (Chapman, 1914), P. sulphuratus derbianus (Kaup, 1852), P. sulphuratus guatimalensis (Lafresnaye, 1852), P. sulphuratus maximiliani (Cabanis & Heine, 1859), P. sulphuratus rufipennis (Lafresnaye, 1851), P. sulphuratus sulphuratus (Linnaeus, 1766), P. sulphuratus texanus (Van Rossem, 1940),P. sulphuratus trinitatis (Hellmayr, 1906) (ITIS, 2010).
Uses
200 individuals of Pitangus sulphuratus were intentionally introduced to Bermuda from Trinidad in 1957 as biological control agents for the introduced anole lizards ( particularly the Jamaican anole (Norops grahami) (Cheesman & Clubbe, 2007; Davenport et al., 2008) and insect pests (Griffith et al., unpublished data). However, this biocontrol attempt was a failure, with P. sulphuratus preferring to feed on various species of native fauna instead.
Habitat Description
Preferred habitats of Pitangus sulphuratus include around rivers, streams, and lakes bordered with dense vegetation as well as open country and parks (Field Guide to Birds of North America, 2007). P. sulphuratus has also been observed in arable land, pastureland, heavily degraded forest, moist lowland and montane forests, moist shrubland, dry grassland, mangrove habitats (Birdlife International, 2009); and beaches (Latino & Beltzer, 1999).
Reproduction
Pitangus sulphuratus forms monogamous relationships. It breeds in open woodland with some tall trees, including cultivated areas and around human habitation. Two to five creamy white eggs spotted with brown and lavender are laid in a bulky, domed nest with a side entrance made of grass, weeds, bark strips, moss, and other plant fibers, and built in trees, bush and telephone poles 6 to 50 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 13 to 15 days and is carried out by the female. (Field Guide to Birds of North America, 2007).
Nutrition
Pitangus sulphuratus is a generalist feeder, with a stomach content analysis on 83 P. Sulphuratus stomachs revealing that insects had the highest relative importance index score of 5304, followed by seed and fruit (4606), crustaceans (170) and fishes (154) (Latino & Beltzer, 1999). Feeding activity was the highest between 11 am and 4 pm (Latino & Beltzer, 1999). Although they are physically unable to probe in the dirt for insect larvae and other invertebrates such as earthworms and snails, kleptoparasitic behaviour has been observed, with instances of P. sulphuratus stealing these food items from other birds being recorded (Llambıas et al., 2001). P. sulphuratus is also known to feed on frogs, small lizards, baby birds, mice (Field Guide to Birds of North America, 2007), and bats (Fischer et al., 2010). In urban envronments, the ability that P. sulphuratus has for identifying food items absent from more natural habitats (such as human food scraps and animal food pellets) and for exploiting resources of unpredictable spatial and temporal distributions confers the species a dietary flexibility that probably contributes to its efficiency in colonizing urban habitats (Argel-De-Oliveira et al., 1998).
Principal source:
Compiler: IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) with support from the Overseas Territories Environmental Programme (OTEP) project XOT603, a joint project with the Cayman Islands Government - Department of Environment
Review: Under expert review
Publication date: 2010-06-02
Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Pitangus sulphuratus. Downloaded from http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=1578 on 03-05-2024.
General Impacts
In its introduced range, in Bermuda, Pitangus sulphuratus predates on and competes with various native species, playing a significant role in the population declines of insect, bird and reptile species (Cheesman & Clubbe, 2007; Davenport et al., 2008; Forbes, 2010).
P. sulphuratus disperses seeds of invasive species through native forest, contributing to the spread of invasive species and the decline of native plant species (The Encyclopedia of Earth, 2006). As a generalist feeder, it is reported as an agricultural pest in its native range (Rodriguez et al., 2004).
Management Info
Physical control: Pitangus sulphuratus populations on Nonsuch Island , Bermuda are controlled by shooting (Varnham, 2006), however the effectiveness of this is uncertain with Griffith et al. (unpublished data) stating that reforestation has allowed P. Sulphuratus to persist on the island in spite of control efforts. Physical control methods for P. sulphuratus and other bird pests on vineyards in Uruguay include use of firearms, visual repellants (flags and scarecrows), and acoustic repellents (fireworks, propane cannons and distress calls) (Rodriguez et al., 2004).
Chemical control: Chemical control methods for P. sulphuratus and other bird pests on vineyards in Uruguay include use of toxic baits (Carbofuran) and repellents (methiocarb) (Rodriguez et al., 2004).
Other: Pitangus sulphuratus has a natural aversion to patterns resembling those of coral snake species (Micrurus spp. and Micruroides spp.) (Brodie III & Janzen, 1995).
Chemical control: Chemical control methods for P. sulphuratus and other bird pests on vineyards in Uruguay include use of toxic baits (Carbofuran) and repellents (methiocarb) (Rodriguez et al., 2004).
Other: Pitangus sulphuratus has a natural aversion to patterns resembling those of coral snake species (Micrurus spp. and Micruroides spp.) (Brodie III & Janzen, 1995).
