The genus contains four species: the Amazonian royal flycatcher, the Northern royal flycatcher,
the Pacific royal flycatcher, and the Atlantic royal flycatcher.
It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but
is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.
Similarly, populations of pied Flycatchers- long-distance migrating birds that still
arrive at their breeding grounds at the regular time- are declining steeply, because populations of caterpillars that the Flycatchers eat now peak prior to the birds' arrival.