Couch's Kingbird
Tyrannus couchii
Large yellow-bellied flycatcher with gray head, dull greenish back, and brownish wings and tail. Primarily a Mexican species, with range extending north into Texas and south to Belize and Guatemala. Occurs in brushy woodlands and other semiopen habitats, often near water. Listen for single “pick” or buzzy “breer” calls. Nearly identical to Tropical Kingbird, which overlaps throughout range; best separated by voice. Larger and longer-billed than Western and Cassin’s Kingbird; also note paler brownish tail.
识别特征
Couch's kingbird is about 7 inches long. It has a large head and bill. It has a dark, forked tail. The head is pale gray with contrasting darker cheeks. The upperparts are grayish-olive. It has a pale throat and a darker breast. The lower breast is bright yellow. Juveniles have browner underparts than the adult and pale edges to their wings.
分类信息
- 学名
- Tyrannus couchii
- 命名信息
- Baird, SF, 1858
- 目
- Passeriformes
- 科
- Tyrannidae
- 属
- Tyrannus
分布与栖息地
Couch's kingbird is native to southern Texas, eastern Mexico, Belize, and northeastern Guatemala, living in lightly wooded areas, such as sparse forests, suburban areas, thorn forests, and edges of wooded streams. Couch's kingbird likes to live near water, especially rivers, and can often be found near roadsides and forest edges. A vagrant individual was sighted in New York City in December 2014 and caught the attention of many birdwatchers.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
Couch's kingbird is mostly an insectivore; however, it can also be a frugivore, eating small berries and seeds. They typically eat larger insects such as, but not limited to, beetles, grasshoppers, wasps, and large flies. Besides this, their diet is mostly unknown due to the lesser volume of birders noting this bird's behaviors. Like most kingbirds, the feeding behavior of Couch's kingbird entails mostly perching and watching its environment for insect movement. It catches its prey mid-air, hovering above, or by quickly swooping down. Eventually, Couch's kingbird re-perches on a branch to eat the insects.<p>The nesting behavior is not precisely known; however, it is believed to be similar to the tropical kingbird. Couch's kingbird likes to nest in lightly wooded areas, and they frequently nest in sugar hackberry, cedar elm, Texas ebony, and Mexican ash trees. It is believed that the flat, cup-like nest is most likely built by the female. It usually consists of twigs, leaves, weeds, moss, and bark and is lined with soft, finer materials such as rootlets, plant down, and Spanish moss. It lays horizontally on higher altitude branches ranging 8–25 feet above the ground, aggressively guarded by adults chasing away larger birds from the nest site. The incubation period is not known but is estimated to be by the female for a little over two weeks. The female can lay up to five eggs, but there are normally three to four eggs per nest. The eggs look to be a pinkish-warm buff color splotched with darker browns and lavender. It is believed both parents feed the young, but not much is known. The young's age at first flight is around 2–3 weeks old.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Purple Sunbird
Cinnyris asiaticus
The breeding male is a metallic blue and purple overall with maroon feathers on the breast. The female is olive above and yellow below. The nonbreeding male of this species is primarily olive-brown with blackish upperparts and yellow underparts with blue-black band running down the throat and chest. Females can be distinguished from female Purple-rumped Sunbirds by its yellow (not grayish) throat. Seen in pairs, feeding chiefly on nectar, but they also take insects. Breeding males display by fluttering their wings in front of females while singing. They are found in gardens, cultivated areas, and forests.
Rodrigues Warbler
Acrocephalus rodericanus
A medium-sized yellowish-olive bird with a long tail that is often flipped up and down. Endemic to the remote island of Rodrigues. Found in secondary forest, scrub, and plantations. Feeds both in the undergrowth and up into the canopy. The cheerful song is a quick series of several musical warbling notes in an up-and-down pattern. The calls include “chek” notes and rattling scolds. There are no other warblers or otherwise similar species on Rodrigues, so identification is simple.
Brown-breasted Barbet
Pogonornis melanopterus
Large and unusually colored barbet, with a mostly red head, a broad brown band across the underparts, a black back, and a white belly and rump patch. Also note the chunky pale bill. Found locally in moist woodland, gardens, and along forest edge. Often in pairs. The easily ignored call is a rough, repeated “kyea”. Somewhat similar to Black-billed Barbet, but easily separated by the brown rather than black breast band, and the pale rather than dark bill.
开始您的观鸟之旅
在户外识别鸟类，并在下一次观察时随手查阅鸟类图鉴。