Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesWoodlandCup nestSmall · 40 g

What the Eastern Kingbird sounds like

Sonogram of the Eastern Kingbird: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call, song · Grey Cloud Dunes SNA, Washington, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Eastern Kingbird: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by steve · Duet, song · Crabtree Creek Trail access (near Raleigh), Wake County, North Carolina, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Eastern Kingbird: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call · Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, Dakota, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

Adults are grey-black on the upperparts with light underparts; they have a long black tail with a white end and long, pointed wings. They have a red patch on their crown, seldom seen. They are of average size for a kingbird, at 19–23 cm (7.5–9.1 in), 33–38 cm (13–15 in) across the wings and weighing 33–55 g (1.2–1.9 oz). The call is a high-pitched, buzzing and unmusical chirp, frequently compared to an electric fence.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Eastern Kingbird

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 5 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Eastern Kingbird

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 32 countries with regular records, and 2 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in United Kingdom, Suriname.

About the Eastern Kingbird

The eastern kingbird is a large tyrant flycatcher native to the Americas. The bird is predominantly dark gray with white underbelly and pointed wings. Eastern kingbirds are conspicuous and are commonly found in open areas with scattered trees and bushes, where they perch while foraging for insects. The Eastern kingbird is migratory, with its breeding range spread across North America and its wintering range in Central and South America.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Eastern Kingbird vs Tropical Kingbird · Eastern Kingbird vs Western Kingbird · Cassin's Kingbird vs Eastern Kingbird

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