Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

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

A striking bird of the central United States, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is nearly unmistakable with its long forked tail and salmon-pink belly. The state bird of Oklahoma, it is commonly found in only a handful of other states.

Description

• Medium-sized songbird.
• Extremely long, forked tail.
• Pearl gray upperparts, with a nearly white head.
• Flanks and under tail salmon pink.

• Size: 22-37 cm (9-15 in)
• Weight: 36-56 g (1.27-1.98 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar. Females paler, with less intense pink, and shorter tail.

Sound

Song a sharp and raspy "pup, peroo."

Conservation Status

The breeding range expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, probably as the result of clearing forests and the planting of ornamental trees. Populations overall seem stable, but it is declining in Oklahoma.

Other Names

Tyran à longue queue (French)
Tirano-tijereta rosado (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher forms large premigratory roosts in late summer, with up to 1,000 birds in one flock. They often roost near towns, perhaps taking advantage of the large trees as roosting sites.

• The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher uses many human products in its nest, such as string, cloth, paper, carpet fuzz, and cigarette filters. One study of nests in an urban area in Texas found that artificial materials accounted for 30% of the weight of nests.

• Inclement weather can be an important factor in causing nest failure of open country birds. High winds and thunderstorms can destroy large numbers of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher nests in some years, accounting for nearly half of all nest failures.

Sources used to construct this page:

Regosin, J. V. 1998. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus). In The Birds of North America, No. 342 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.