Species

Eastern kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

A black-and-white flycatcher that fearlessly chases hawks and crows away from its nest.

Photo Rhododendrites (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Territoriality

At a glance

Size: About 19 to 23 cm long
Weight: About 33 to 55 g
Habitat: Fields, pastures, orchards, roadsides and water edges
Diet: Flying insects in summer; fruit in winter in South America
In Georgia: A common summer resident, April to September
Voice: A sharp, electric "zeer" and chattering
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Black head and back; white throat and underparts; black tail with a white tip
Told apart from: Eastern phoebe, which is brownish with no white tail tip and wags its tail
Where to look: Wires, fences and treetops in open country

Behaviour

Eastern kingbirds sally out from perches for insects. They are fierce defenders of their nests, attacking crows, hawks and even herons that come near, sometimes landing on their backs.

Why they matter

Eastern kingbirds eat many flying insects in farmland. In South America in winter they switch almost entirely to fruit and travel in flocks, a very different life from their summer one.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A cup of grass and twigs in a tree, shrub or on a post
Eggs — Usually three or four
Incubation — About 14 to 17 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about 16 to 17 days
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Pesticide use in pastures and fields reduces the insects kingbirds depend on.

Misconceptions

Small birds chasing a hawk are being attacked. They are driving the hawk away from their nests.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	In South America	In South America	In South America	Arriving	Nesting	Nesting	Young fledging	Flocks gathering	Migrating south	Last birds	In South America	In South America

Where it lives

Recorded in 64 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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