Cassin's Kingbird

Cassin's Kingbird, adult; Patagonia, AZ

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A large, noisy, and conspicuous flycatcher of the southwestern United States and Mexico, the Cassin's Kingbird can be distinguished from the other yellow kingbirds by its dark gray head and chest, and the white tip to its black tail.

Description

• Medium-sized songbird.
• Head and chest gray.
• Belly and under tail yellow.
• Black square-tipped tail with white tip.

• Size: 21-23 cm (8-9 in)
• Weight: 45 g (1.59 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike, except male has more notched wing feathers (not visible).

Sound

Call a low nasal "queer" or "chi-queer." Dawn song a set of raspy phrases.

Conservation Status

Populations appear stable.

Other Names

Tyran de Cassin (French)
Matrugador chilero, picacuervo, abejero, posera, chituri gritón, chilera, churio, tirano, tiamaría, chalangandina, Tirano gritón (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The ranges of Cassin?s and Western kingbirds overlap geographically and partially in elevation. Competition between the two species appears to be minimal in nesting and foraging habitats with ample insect prey. Cassin's Kingbird nest success is higher, however, in the absence of Western Kingbirds than where both species are present.

Sources used to construct this page:

Tweit, R. C., and J. C. Tweit. 2000. Cassin?s Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans). In The Birds of North America No. 534 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.