Bird Guide

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher vs Western Kingbird

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Tyrannus forficatus

Small39 gUrban

Adult birds have pale gray heads and upper parts, light underparts, salmon-pink flanks and undertail coverts, and dark gray wings. Axillars and patch on underwing coverts are red. Their extremely long, forked tails, which are black on top and white on the underside, are characteristic and unmistakable. At maturity, the male may be up to 15 in (38 cm) in length, while the female's tail is up to 30% shorter. The wingspan is 38.1 cm (15.0 in) and the weight is up to 43 g (1.5 oz). Immature birds are duller in color and have shorter tails.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Kramer, Gary · Public domain
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)

Western Kingbird

Tyrannus verticalis

Small40 gShrubland

Adults are a combination of both gray and yellow plumage, along with crimson feathers that are hidden until courtship or against intruders. Characteristic of kingbird species, the western kingbird is very territorial. Although the western is often misidentified as Cassin's kingbird, Couch's kingbird, or the tropical kingbird due to the yellow coloration, it can be distinguished from these other species through its black, squared tail with white edges.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Alan Vernon · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

Learn this pair in BeakBrain

Photo and call practice, free in any browser.

Play BeakBrain

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and Western Kingbird.