The western kingbird (''Tyrannus verticalis'') is a large

tyrant flycatcher The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds known to exist in the world, with more than 400 species. They are the most dive ...

found throughout western environments of North America, as far south as Mexico.

Description

Adults are a combination of both gray and yellow plumage, along with crimson feathers that are hidden until courtship or against intruders. Characteristic of

kingbird ''Tyrannus'' is a genus of small passerine birds of the tyrant flycatcher family native to the Americas. The majority are named as kingbirds. Description They prefer semi-open or open areas. These birds wait on an exposed perch and then catch i ...

species, the western kingbird is very territorial. Although the western is often misidentified as

Cassin's kingbird Cassin's kingbird (''Tyrannus vociferans'') is a large tyrant flycatcher native to western North America. The name of this bird commemorates the American ornithologist John Cassin. Taxonomy Cassin's kingbird was formally described in 1826 by En ...

Couch's kingbird Couch's kingbird (''Tyrannus couchii'') is a passerine tyrant flycatcher of the kingbird genus. It is found from southern Texas along the Gulf Coast to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, Belize and northern Guatemala. It is also found in the lower ...

, or the

tropical kingbird The tropical kingbird (''Tyrannus melancholicus'') is a large tyrant flycatcher. This bird breeds from southern Arizona and the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States through Central America, South America as far as south as centra ...

due to the yellow coloration, it can be distinguished from these other species through its black, squared tail with white edges.

Anatomy and morphology

Distribution and habitat

The breeding habitat is open areas in western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. The increased presence of trees throughout the Great Plains during the past century due to fire suppression and tree planting facilitated the range expansion of the western kingbird, as well as range expansions of many other species of birds.

Behavior

The name ''kingbird'' is derived from their "take-charge" behavior. These birds aggressively defend their territory, even against much larger birds such as

hawk Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...

s. They will attack humans, livestock, and pets when they think their young are in danger. Kingbirds make a sturdy cup nest in a tree or shrub, sometimes on top of a pole or other man-made structure. Three to five white, creamy, or pinkish eggs with heavy blotches of brown, black, or lavender are laid and incubated for 12 to 14 days. Due to the small size of the nest, and the chicks' rapid rate of growth, most of them are pushed out of the nest, due to overcrowding, before they are fully feathered and able to fly. They wait on an open perch and fly out to catch insects such as bees, robber flies, winged ants, grasshoppers, and spiders. They are also known to eat berries, buckthorn/sumac, and poison ivy seeds. These birds migrate in flocks to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

and the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

coast of southern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

Sound

The song is a squeaky chatter, sometimes compared to a

squeaky toy A squeaky toy, squeak toy, squeaker toy, or squeeze toy, is a soft, hollow toy made from flexible materials such as rubber or vinyl, and usually equipped with a small device known as a ''squeaker.'' How it works When the toy is squeezed, air is fo ...

. The call is a sharp loud ''whit''. It occasionally sings before sunrise.

References

External links

Western kingbird Species account
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology

- USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
Western kingbird attacking red tailed hawk with photo

''Denver Post''
30 September 2009 * * * * * *
Western kingbird Life History
- All About Birds {{Taxonbar, from=Q673149

western kingbird The western kingbird (''Tyrannus verticalis'') is a large tyrant flycatcher found throughout western environments of North America, as far south as Mexico. Description Adults are a combination of both gray and yellow plumage, along with crimson f ...

Native birds of Western Canada Native birds of the Canadian Prairies Native birds of the Western United States Native birds of the Plains-Midwest (United States)