Western Kingbird

Tyrannus verticalis

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family TYRANNIDAE - Subfamily Tyranninae

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A conspicuous and aggressive bird of open country, the Western Kingbird is common throughout the western United States and southern Canada. It is often found around human habitation, and frequently uses telephone poles, fence posts, and other man-made structures for nesting.

Cool Facts

• The breeding range of the Western Flycatcher has been expanding eastward for the last 100 years. It has been associated with tree planting across the Great Plains. It was unknown in Florida until about 1915, but has become a regular winter visitor since then.

• A Western Kingbird pair defends a rather loosely defined territory against other kingbirds. After pairing takes place they defend a smaller and smaller territory. By the middle of incubation the territory is quite small, concentrated primarily on the nest tree and nest.

• The Western Kingbird is regularly noted in the fall along the East Coast, from Newfoundland to Florida. Individuals are seen in some coastal spots every year. Spring records, however, are rare.

Description

• Size: 20-24 cm (8-9 in)
• Wingspan: 37-40 cm (15-16 in)
• Weight: 37-46 g (1.31-1.62 ounces)

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

• Head and breast pale gray, with darker gray mask from bill to ear region.
• Chin white.
• Eye dark.
• Wings brownish black.
• Bill black.
• Small orange-red patch on crown, usually hidden.

Sex Differences

Sexes alike in plumage.

Immature

Juvenile similar to adult, but paler, wings edged with buff, crown without orange feathers.

Similar Species

• Similar to Cassin's, Tropical, and Couch's kingbirds.
• Cassin's has darker gray head, back and breast; more contrasting white chin, and white tip to tail.
• Tropical and Couch's kingbirds have no white in tail, yellower chest, and larger bill.

Sound

Song a series of "kip" notes followed by series of high-pitched fussy chittering notes. Common call a sharp "kip" note.

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from southeastern British Columbia eastward to central Minnesota and southward to Mexico and southern Texas.

Winter Range

Winters in Southern Mexico and western Central America. Also in southern Florida in small numbers.

Habitat

Prefers open habitats with trees, shrubs, or tall man-made structures. Habitats include grassland, desert shrub, pasture, savanna, and urban areas.

Food

Flying insects and some fruit.

Behavior

Foraging

Captures most prey by aerial hawking from an elevated perch. Also grabs insects on ground and off vegetation.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest an open cup of grass stems, rootlets, fine twigs, bark and plant fibers, lined with fine material such as wool, cotton, hair, feathers, and cloth. Built in trees or on human-made structures, such as utility poles and fence posts.

Egg Description

Creamy white with heavy dark spots, concentrated around large end.

Clutch Size

2-7 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless and with sparse white down.

Conservation Status

Widespread and common. No significant nationwide trend, but some local increases and decreases.

Other Names

Tyran de l'Ouest (French)
Madrugador avispero (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Gamble, L. R., and T. M. Bergin. 1996. Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis). In The Birds of North America, No. 227 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.