Scissor-tailed Flycatchers
Tyrant Flycatchers ... Kingbirds
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) is a long-tailed insect-eating bird closely related to the kingbirds.
Description
Adult birds have grey upper parts and light underparts with pinkish flanks. They have dark wings and an extremely long black tail.
Immature birds are duller in colour and have a shorter tail.
Distribution / Range
Their breeding habitat is open shrubby country with scattered trees in the south central United States and northeastern Mexico.
They migrate to southern Mexico and Central America.
They regularly stray to the ocean coasts of the US and are occasional visitors to southern Canada.
This is the state bird of Oklahoma and is prominently displayed in flight on the reverse of the Oklahoma Commemorative Quarter..
Nesting / Breeding
They build a cup nest in a tree or shrub on a branch, sometimes using artificial sites such as telephone poles.
The male performs a spectacular aerial display during courtship with his long tail streaming out behind him.
Both parents feed the young. Like other kingbirds, they are very aggressive in defending their nest.
Diet / Feeding
These birds feed mainly on insects which they catch by waiting on a perch and then flying out to catch them in flight.
They also eat some berries.
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org
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