Couch's Kingbird

Couch's Kingbird family group with one adult (center) and two juveniles, Bentsen State Park, TX, 19 June 2004.

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

A large, brightly colored flycatcher of southern Texas and Mexico, the Couch's Kingbird is very similar to the more widespread Tropical Kingbird. The two were considered the same species for nearly one hundred years, but they can be separated by voice and very subtle morphological characters.

Description

• Medium-sized songbird.
• Back grayish green.
• Underparts yellow.
• Head gray.
• Plain blackish brown tail.

• Size: 20-24 cm (8-9 in)
• Weight: 40 g (1.41 ounces)

Sex Differences

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

Sound

A nasal "bihk" or "pik" and a buzzy, nasal "pitweeer," often combined, "pik pik pik pitweeer."

Conservation Status

Increased range and populations in Texas slightly over last 100 years.

Other Names

Tyran de Couch (French)
Tirano silbador (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• Song is the best field character to distinguish Couch's Kingbird from Tropical Kingbird. The shallower notch in the Couch's tail and the greener back are difficult to detect. In the hand, the slightly larger Couch's has a longer wing, but a shorter bill than the Tropical Kingbird.

Sources used to construct this page:

Brush, T. 1999. Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii). In The Birds of North America, No. 437 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.