Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Large, ubiquitous yellow-bellied flycatcher found throughout most of Middle and South America, though tends to be uncommon at the far northern end of its range in the U.S. A classic “telephone wire” bird along roadsides and in towns. Prefers open areas with some trees and water. Most abundant in lowlands and foothills, but ventures up to over 3,000m in some parts of range. Listen for sharp, high-pitched twitters. Nearly identical to Couch’s Kingbird, which overlaps from Texas to Belize; best separated by voice. Larger and longer-billed than Western and Cassin’s Kingbird; also note paler brownish tail. Also very similar to White-throated (longer, forked tail) and Snowy-throated (dark mask) Kingbirds in some parts of South America.
Identification
An adult tropical kingbird is 22 cm (8.7 in) long, weighs 39 g (1.4 oz) and has a wingspan range of 38–41 cm. The head is pale gray, with a darker eye mask, an orange crown stripe, and a heavy gray bill. The back is grayish-green, and the wing and forked tail are brown. The throat is pale gray, becoming olive on the breast, with the rest of the underparts being yellow. The sexes are similar, but young birds have pale buff edges on the wing coverts.
Taxonomy
The tropical kingbird was formally described in 1819 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot under the binomial name Tyrannus melancholicus. Vieillot based his description on the Suirirí-Guazú that had been described by the Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara in 1805 in his book Apuntamientos para la historia natural de los páxaros del Paragüay y Rio de la Plata. The specific epithet is Latin meaning "melancholic" (that is "bad-tempered").<p>Three subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Tyrannus melancholicus
- Authority
- Vieillot, 1819
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Tyrannus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Tropical kingbirds appear to be monogamous. In most parts of the species' range, they are permanent residents and remain together in pairs year-round.(Sibley 2014)[page needed]The call is a high-pitched twittering trill, tree-e-e-e-e-e-e, with a more complex version sung by the male at dawn.<p>Their breeding habitat is semi-open areas with trees and shrubs, including gardens and roadsides. Tropical kingbirds like to observe their surroundings from a prominent open perch, usually high in a tree, undertaking long flights to acrobatically catch insects in mid-air (hawking), sometimes hovering to pick food off vegetation (gleaning). The insects preyed upon include beetles, bees, wasps, termites, butterflies, moths, dragonflies and grasshoppers. They also eat some berries and fruit from such diverse species as tamanqueiro (Alchornea glandulosa), common guava (Psidium guajava), the Annonaceae, Cymbopetalum mayanum and gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba); foraging for these even in disturbed habitat. As they keep mainly to the upper levels of trees, they find little profit in following mixed-species feeding flocks in the understory.<p>Aplomado falcons have been known to prey on adult tropical kingbirds, while eggs and young have been attacked by swallow-tailed kites and chestnut-mandibled toucans. These birds aggressively defend their territory against intruders, even much larger birds such as magnificent frigatebirds, toucans, caracaras or hawks. In a study in Parque Nacional de La Macarena of Colombia, parasitism by microfilariae and trypanosomas (presumably T. everetti) was infrequently recorded in tropical kingbirds.<p>The male and female inspect potential sites together before selecting a site, typically a fork or crotch high in a tree (up to 20 m (66 ft) high) but sometimes just a few metres above water.(Sibley 2014)[page needed] The female builds a bulky, sloppy-looking, shallow nest of vines, rootlets, twigs, weeds, and grasses; it is unlined or lined with hair. Nests average about 13.2 cm (5.2 in) across and 7.6 cm (3.0 in) tall, with interior cup about 7.6 cm (3.0 in) across and 4.1 cm (1.6 in) deep.[page needed]<p>The female incubates the typical clutch of two to four eggs for approximately 16 days, and the nestlings fledge in another 18 or 19 days. The eggs are whitish or pale pink with variable amounts of dark blotching.[page needed]
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Hypocolius
Hypocolius ampelinus
A slender, pale gray bird with a short bill and a long black-tipped tail. The male has a black face. This distinctive species occurs in arid scrub, desert, and nearby farmlands. Usually found in small flocks, often seen feeding on fruiting trees and bushes. Calls include short, squeaky wails and whistles.
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
Common and conspicuous, this flashy, long-tailed crow relative is unmistakable, and its loud chattering calls are a familiar sound in many areas. Found in open and semiopen areas from farmland and open woodland to towns and gardens, singly or more often in pairs or groups. Bulky stick nest often conspicuous in tall tree or hedgerow. Boldly pied plumage is distinctive, with white belly, white back, and white wing patches. Wings show blue-green gloss in good light.
Russet-bellied Spinetail
Synallaxis zimmeri
Uncommon and endangered spinetail with a very small range in the western Andes of Peru. It has a gray head and back, a pale throat, buffy-chestnut lower underparts, a broken white eye-ring, and a long, rusty-edged tail. Inhabits dry to semi-humid scrub and forest. Vocalizations include a slow series of squeaks, sometimes preceded by a chuckling sound, and a much faster rattle.
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