Bird Guide

Couch's Kingbird vs Grey Kingbird

Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii)

Couch's Kingbird

Tyrannus couchii

Small39 gForest

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. Couch's kingbird can easily be confused with the related tropical kingbird (T. melancholicus), which is extremely similar. In fact, Couch's kingbird was considered conspecific with the tropical kingbird until 1979.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Lauren · CC BY 4.0
Grey Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis)

Grey Kingbird

Tyrannus dominicensis

Small47 gForest

The adult gray kingbird is an average-sized kingbird. It measures 23 cm (9.1 in) in length and weighs from 37 to 52 g (1.3 to 1.8 oz). The upperparts are gray, with brownish wings and tail, and the underparts are white with a gray tinge to the chest. The head has a concealed yellow crown stripe, and a dusky mask through the eyes. The dark bill is heavier than that of the related, slightly smaller, tropical kingbird. The sexes are similar, but young birds have rufous edges on the wing coverts, rump and tail.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Rosa Elena Albornoz @rosaelena_naturaleza · CC0
Photo: Aitor · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Couch's Kingbird and Grey Kingbird.