Tropical Kingbird

Tropical Kingbird

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

An extremely common and widespread bird of the American tropics, the Tropical Kingbird barely reaches the United States in south Texas and southern Arizona.

Description

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

• Size: 18-23 cm (7-9 in)
• Weight: 32-43 g (1.13-1.52 ounces)

Sex Differences

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

Sound

Song a twittery "pip-pip-pip-pip."

Conservation Status

Lives well with people. Range has expanded with human-induced changes in landscape.

Other Names

Tyrannus mélancolique (French)
Tirano tropical (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• Although a widespread bird and a seemingly typical kingbird, the Tropical Kingbird is among the most specialized of flycatchers. It forages almost exclusively by sallying after large flying insects.
• The Tropical Kingbird has become a regular fall visitor to the Pacific Coast of the United States. Nearly every year a few wandering kingbirds are discovered there. Most of these are immature birds.

Sources used to construct this page:

Stouffer, P. C., and R. T. Chesser. 1998. Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus). In The Birds of North America, No. 358 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.