Great Kiskadee

Overview

The great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae and the only member of the genus Pitangus. It is a common, noisy, and conspicuous species found across a wide range of habitats in the Americas.

Identification

• 25 to 28 cm in length, one of the largest tyrant flycatchers.
• Black head with a strong white supercilium and a concealed yellow crown stripe.
• Brown upperparts with wings and tail featuring strong rufous fringes.
• Short, thick, black bill and exuberant BEE-tee-WEE call.

Habitat

The species occupies varied environments from open grassland with scattered trees to urban areas and open woodland with tall trees. Its range extends from the extreme southern United States south through Central America to southern Argentina, though it does not regularly occur in Chile.

Diet

An omnivore that hunts like a shrike, perching high to sally out for insects in flight or pounce upon small vertebrates such as rodents, lizards, and frogs. It also gleans seeds and fruit from vegetation and occasionally dives into shallow water for fish or tadpoles, making it one of the few fishing passerines.

Did you know?

The bird was introduced to Bermuda in 1957 to control lizards but failed in its mission, with the population expanding to approximately 60,000 by 1976. It is also known for aggressively mobbing raptors, often forcing larger predators to leave the area so it can hunt in peace.