Black-billed Flycatcher vs Coast Indigo

Aphanotriccus audax compared with Indigofera miniata

Key Differences

  • Black-billed Flycatcher is Near Threatened while Coast Indigo is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Black-billed Flycatcher Coast Indigo
Kingdom Animalia (Animals) Plantae (Plants)
Phylum Chordata (Chordates) Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class Aves (Birds) Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order Passeriformes (Songbirds) Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family Tyrannidae Fabaceae
Genus Aphanotriccus Indigofera
Species Aphanotriccus audax Indigofera miniata

Conservation Status

Black-billed Flycatcher

NT — Near Threatened

Coast Indigo

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Black-billed Flycatcher Coast Indigo
Diet — —
Average Lifespan — —
Average Length — —
Average Weight — —

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-billed Flycatcher

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Norway, and Panama. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Coast Indigo

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in Cuba.

Black-billed Flycatcher

The Black-billed Flycatcher (Aphanotriccus audax) is a species in the genus Aphanotriccus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Coast Indigo

Coast indigo (Indigofera miniata) is a perennial herb or subshrub in the family Fabaceae, native to the coastal scrub, pine barrens, and sandy grasslands of Cuba and the broader Caribbean region. Like other members of the genus Indigofera, it produces compound pinnate leaves and racemes of small, pea-type flowers, though in this species the flowers are notably small and pinkish to reddish. The genus Indigofera is best known for Indigofera tinctoria, the source of natural indigo dye, but most species including Indigofera miniata have not been commercially exploited for dye production. Coast indigo grows in open, sunny, often disturbed habitats including sandy coastal plains, roadsides, and degraded scrubland, benefiting from its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen through root nodule bacteria—a common trait in the legume family. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern, reflecting its ability to persist in disturbed and marginal coastal habitats across the Caribbean. Regional populations are affected by coastal development and vegetation clearance but are not considered globally threatened.

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