Other Information
SE
Arizona Rare
Bird Alert
(520) 798-1005
Report
Rare Birds
(520) 798-1005
Email
a report
Nature Shop
(520) 629-0510
Agua Caliente Shop
(520) 760-7881
Mason Audubon
Center
(520) 744-0004
Membership
(520) 629-0757
AZ IBA Program
(520) 628-1730
Education Program
(520) 622-2230
Habitat Restoration
(520) 206-9900
Development
(520) 622-5622
Executive Director
(520) 622-5622
|
Birding Home | Access Updates | RBA | Dastardly Duos | AZ/NM Listserv | Tucson Area |
Tucson Audubon Society
Dastardly Duos
Western, Cassin’s and Tropical Kingbirds
Text by Larry Liese
Illustrations by George C. West
(Article first appeared in the April 2004 Vermilion Flycatcher
newsletter. To receive the newsletter in the mail, become a member of the Friends
of Tucson Audubon)
This month’s group of three species are aptly named. The kingbirds are an aggressive bunch, taking no crap from anybody! Twice I’ve seen a Thick-billed Kingbird launch itself at a passing Gray Hawk and attach itself to the hawk’s back. Both times it hung on for several seconds, only releasing its grip when the hawk landed. Now that’s chutzpah! This month we’ll take a look at three of them, the Western (Tyrannus verticalis), Cassin’s (Tyrannus vociferans), and Tropical (Tyrannus melancholicus) Kingbirds.
Kingbirds like open areas, perching conspicuously and making sallies out for larger insects. Our three species here share many similarities, but can be discerned with a little practice. Both the Western and Cassin’s are quite common in southeast Arizona in the warmer month, and Tropical Kingbirds (listed as rare and local) seem to be seen in more new areas every summer. Key things to look for in differentiating these birds are tail shape and color, bill size and shape, how the grays, yellows and whites come together in the upper breast area, and of course voice.
As a beginning birder, I used to patiently wait for a kingbird to fly, in order to see the tail pattern, looking for the white outer tail feathers of the Western or the buffy tail tips of Cassin’s. While this still works, I find it easier to just note the contrast between crown and chin. The Cassin’s has a white chin and quite dark gray crown; the Western still has a white chin, but it is less strongly bordered and contrasts less with the lighter gray crown. Also note the darker gray breast band on the Cassin’s.
If you’re looking at a kingbird and something ‘looks funny,’ maybe you’ve got a Tropical! Look for a distinctly larger bill pointing back towards a dusky cheek-patch. It would have a brighter yellow lower belly with yellow rising much farther up the breast than the others. Now how about that notched tail? I’ve seen birders find more notched tails on kingbirds than the number of Tropicals probably ever found in the state! Beware molting tail feathers, and birds just holding their tails spread a little apart. Though the Tropical will have a distinct notch in the tail, I suggest cinching the bill-size/face-head detail first, and then using the tail notch as a check, although poor lighting conditions will make this more difficult.
The Tropical has a brownish tail, the Cassin’s blackish, and the Western a dark black. Another lesser-known field mark is that the wing-coverts on the Western are uniformly darkish, while the others have coverts with pale edges. Try seeing these subtle differences.
Common calls are thankfully quite different among these three. The Cassin’s is a sharp k’beer, the Western’s is a k’bric or pik, and the Tropical gives a long twittering call. Getting from “Oh, I’ve heard that before!” to “Hey, that’s a Western!” takes a little practice. Watching the birds make their calls after you identify them will help cement the vocal and visual cues together in your memory. Believe me, it works!
By the time you read this, both Cassin’s and Westerns will be here in force, and some Tropicals will arrive by month’s end. Look for the latter at Arivaca Cienega near Willow Pond, the Pinal Air Park Pecan Grove, (at least formerly) at the Kino Springs Clubhouse Pond, and at the San Pedro RNCA near Kingfisher Pond. Good luck!
Bird questions? Check Birding | General questions? Contact: Tucson Audubon Society | Webmaster: Email
This page was updated on 02/21/06