Grey Kingbirds
Tyrant Flycatchers ... Kingbirds
Backyard Habitat: Attracting Wildlife to Your Garden ... Bird Feeding Stations ... Nesting Habits of Wild Birds and Build-Your-Own Nesting Boxes ... Wild Bird Houses / Nests (Fancy & Practical) .... Water Fountains ... Bird Baths ...... Books, Videos, CDs & DVDs
Distribution / Habitat:
This Tyrant Flycatcher can be found from the extreme southeast of the USA through Central America and the West Indies south to Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago and the Guiana. Northern populations are migratory, wintering on the Caribbean coast of Central America and northern South America. They are also increasingly found in the state of Florida.
They build flimsy cup nests in trees; the female incubates the typical clutch of two cream eggs, which are marked with reddish-brown.Identification Tips:
- Length: 7.5 inches
- Large head
- Often feeds by flying out to catch insects and then returning to the same perch
- Often perches in an exposed location: for example, a telephone line or a dead branch
- Frequents mangroves in Florida
Adult:
- Dark, forked tail
- Dark cheeks
- Gray upperparts
- Whitish underparts
- Reddish crown patch rarely visible
- The sexes are similar
Juvenile:
- Upperparts browner than adult; they have rufous edges on the wing coverts, rump and tail.
Similar species:
The Gray Kingbird is somewhat similar to the Eastern Kingbird but has a forked tail and lacks a white terminal tail band. The rare stray Loggerhead Kingbird is very similar but has a dark head and lacks the dark cheeks of the Gray Kingbird.
Call / Song:
The call is a loud rolling trill, pipiri pipiri/.
Diet:
Gray Kingbirds feed on insects.
Relevant Web Resources: Gray Kingbird - Tyrannus Dominicensis (USGS - Photos, ID Tips, Distribution, etc.) ... Birds of Nova Scotia
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with the AvianWeb visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the AvianWeb Webmaster.
Photo contributions and articles are welcome!
