need help identifying bird (1 Viewer)

W

wendywynn

New member

• May 28, 2003

• #1

I saw a bird today that looks like a bird of paradise except the color was all wrong. It had a blueish gray head with a yellow breast and a beautiful long forked tail. It was pearched on a post near the Arkansas River. I looked it up and couldn't find anything on it. Does anyone have a clue as to what I saw?

 

Andy Bright

Administrator

Staff member

• May 28, 2003

• #2

Hi Wendy,
A big welcome to Bird Forum.net from all the moderators and admin here.
Although I'm in the U.K. It does sound likely that you saw one of my favourite birds.... A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (and would be in the right area of the U.S.)
Hope you enjoy your time here.
Andy

 

W

wendywynn

New member

• May 28, 2003

• #3

Andy,
Thanks for helping me. When I looked up the scissor tailed flycather, it described it as having a white breast instead of the yellow breast that this one had. Are there different varieties?

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• May 28, 2003

• #4

Definitely Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. They're a sort of soft peachy orangey-yellow underneath, pale blue-grey above, and with blackish wings. And of course that immensely long forked tail. Lovely birds, I've seen them in TX and MO, either side of you.

Perching on posts or wires is absolutely typical for them as well.

Michael

 

oldsquaw

Old Tooter

• May 29, 2003

• #5

Sounds like a western kingbird to me. Was the tail over 8 inches long? Scissor-tails have an extremely long tail.