Grey Kingbirds
Tyrant Flycatchers ... Kingbirds
The Gray or Grey Kingbird, also known as Pitirre, Tyrannus dominicensis, is a passerinebird.
The species was first described on the island of Hispaniola, then called Santo Domingo, thus the dominicensis name.
Distribution / Range
It breeds from the extreme southeast of the USA through Central America, from Cuba to Puerto Rico as well as eastward towards all across the Lesser West Indies, south to Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago the Guiana and Colombia. Northern populations are migratory, wintering on the Caribbean coast of Central America and northern South America.
It is found in increasing numbers in the state of Florida, and is more often found inland though it had been previously restricted to the coast.
This tyrant flycatcher is found in tall trees and shrubs, including the edges of savanna and marshes.
Nesting / Breeding
It makes a flimsy cup nest in a tree. The female incubates the typical clutch of two cream eggs, which are marked with reddish-brown.
Description
The adult Gray Kingbird is 23 cm long and weighs 47 g. The upperparts are grey, with brownish wings and tail, and the underparts are white with a grey tinge to the chest. The head has a concealed yellow crown stripe, and a dusky mask through the eyes. The dark bill is heavier than that of the related, slightly smaller, Tropical Kingbird. The sexes are similar, but young birds have rufous edges on the wing coverts, rump and tail.
Like other kingbirds, these birds aggressively defend their territory against intruders, including mammals and much larger birds such as caracaras and Red-Tailed Hawks. This phenomenon has led to the widespread adoption of the pitirre as a nationalist symbol (a sort of David vs. Goliath figure) in Puerto Rico and for the Puerto Rican independence movement.
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, which is the reason behind many of its local names, like pestigre or pitirre, in the Spanish-speaking Greater Antilles, or "petchary" in some of the English-speaking zones.
Diet:
Gray Kingbirds wait on an exposed perch high in a tree, occasionally sallying out to feed on insects, their staple diet.
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