BIRD SPECIES

Eastern Kingbird

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Tyrannus tyrannus

The Eastern Kingbird is a large tyrant flycatcher native to the Americas. It is a sturdy, medium-sized songbird with a large head, upright posture, square- tipped tail, and a relatively short, straight bill.

The Eastern Kingbird measures about 7.5 - 9.1 inches in length, with a wingspan of 13 - 15 inches and weight of 33 - 55 grams.

They have dark gray upperparts and whitish underparts, slightly gray on chest. Wings are darker, blackish-brown, with whitish edges. Squared tail has a broad white terminal band.

Head is mostly blackish, with a small red-orange crown patch, often concealed. Black bill is short and small. Eyes are black. Legs and feet are blackish.

Both sexes are similar in plumage. Male tends to keep erected its crown feathers more often than female.

Juveniles resemble adults, but lack the crown patch. They have pale-tipped primaries, and has a narrow white stripe on tail.

CALL:  A harsh “dzeet” note given in series, and followed by a buzzy note “dzeet-t-t-t-dzeet-zeer”. These calls are usually given by flocks.
Males vocalize more than females, but both give a variety of high-pitched, short, explosive calls with an electric quality.

SONG: Males sing a complex vocalization from perches before dawn or occasionally in the evening. It consists of high, sputtering notes followed by a buzzy "zeer", repeated many times, with each song lasting about 1.5 seconds.

Feeds mainly on insects. Fruit and wild berries are consumed on its winter range.

Common in woodland clearings, fields, farm, city parks, roadsides and forest edges. They are often seen near water, and in large flocks in orchards.

Winters in wetland edges and tropical forests.

Breeds in North America, except in south western and Pacific coasts.

Migrates through Gulf Coast and Central America, to winter in South America.

The female builds a bulky and deep open cup nest with weeds, twigs, grass and strips of bark. It is lined with plant down, rootlets and hair. It is placed on a horizontal tree or shrub branch, but this species may also nest in cavities and human-made structures.

She lays 3 - 5 creamy white or pale pink eggs, with darker blotches. Incubation lasts about 16 to 18 days, by female.

SOURCES:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org
http://www.oiseaux-birds.com
https://en.wikipedia.org