- Tyrannus tyrannus
Identification
19–23 cm (7½-9 in)
- Charcoal gray upperparts
- Black cap
- White throat and belly, some gray smudges on chest
- White tip on tail
- Sometimes shows orange, or yellowish-orange crown spot
Distribution
This species breeds throughout much of the USA and Canada; absent only in Alaska, Yukon Territory, California most of Nevada, southern Utah, Arizona, southern New Mexico, and western Texas.
Winters in South America.
Rare vagrant in California, Arizona, Newfoundland, and Alaska.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
A variety of open areas with a few tall trees or powerlines and forests, including gallery forest, clearings and forest borders.
Behaviour
Often flies into the air from a perch to catch an insect (flycatching).
Diet
Their diet consists mostly of flying insects, particularly in the breeding season. They will also sometimes take small frogs. Fruit forms a large part of their diet too.
Gallery
Click on photo for larger image
Photo © by tetoneon
New Jersey, USA, May 2015
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved January 2016 & May 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Eastern Kingbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Eastern_Kingbird
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
