Tropical Kingbird

Overview

The tropical kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) is a large tyrant flycatcher found across the Americas. It is one of the most widespread and conspicuous inhabitants of open forest and scrub, with a breeding population estimated at around 200 million.

Identification

• 22 cm long with a wingspan of 38–41 cm.
• Pale gray head with a darker eye mask and an orange crown stripe, contrasting with a grayish-green back and brown forked tail.
• Throat is pale grey, transitioning to olive on the breast and yellow on the rest of the underparts.
• Call consists of a high-pitched twittering trill, with a more complex song sung by the male at dawn.

Habitat

Breeds in semi-open areas with trees and shrubs, including gardens, roadsides, forest edges, and agricultural land. Range extends from southern Arizona and Texas through Central America to central Argentina and eastern Peru, with some populations migrating after breeding.

Diet

Feeds primarily on insects such as beetles, bees, wasps, and dragonflies, which it catches by hawking from a prominent perch or gleaning from vegetation. It also consumes berries and fruit from species including guava, Annonaceae, and gumbo-limbo.

Did you know?

Despite its relatively small size of 39 g, it aggressively defends its territory against much larger birds such as magnificent frigatebirds, toucans, and hawks. The specific epithet 'melancholicus' is Latin for 'melancholic' or 'bad-tempered', likely a reference to this defensive behaviour.