Silky Flycatchers: Family Ptilogonatidae

Silky Flycatchers are a small group of passerines, very closely related to Waxwings. Their scientific family name, Ptilogonatidae comes from the Greek word meaning "Shining Robe", which describes these beautiful birds perfectly. Their feathers are soft, smooth and often iridescent, like silk. As is the case with many birds, males of this family are brighter and shinier than the females, a sexually selected trait called sexual dimorphism. Like their relatives, the Waxwings, these birds are medium sized, with a short sharp beak, used to eat primarily fruit. Unlike the Waxwings, Silky Flycatchers commonly catch and eat insects while flying and are found exclusively in south western North America and Central America.

Seeds and Poop

Silky Flycatchers are primarily frugivores, which means that they mainly eat fruits and berries. When animals eat berries, they help to distribute their seeds by pooping them back out. The seeds are generally left unharmed while going through the digestive system and some seeds even need to be put through the digestive process so they can germinate and grow into seedlings.

Birds are excellent seed dispersal vehicles because they can fly. As they fly from location to location, they poop, distributing seeds far and wide in fresh piles of fertilizer. Though some birds try really hard, seeds don't germinate well on my car, so they should just stop trying...

One study found that some species of of Silky Flycatchers can distribute the seeds of over 36 genera of fruit bearing plants! Without the birds distributing their seeds, we may lose some of the rich diversity of fruits that we get from these regions. Populations of these birds are especially sensitive to habitat loss, meaning they become less widespread when humans encroach on their territory. Silky Flycatchers are not like some birds, such as sparrows or pigeons, who are able live side by side with humans. By protecting their habitat, we are not only protecting them, but the fruit seeds they distribute too. Even if they try and distribute them on my car.