Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
- GenusTyrannus (Kingbirds)
- SpeciesTyrannus melancholicus (Tropical Kingbird)
About the Tropical Kingbird
The tropical kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) is a large tyrant flycatcher. This bird breeds from southern Arizona and the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States through Central America, South America as far as south as central Argentina and eastern Peru, and on Trinidad and Tobago. Birds from the northernmost and southern breeding areas migrate to warmer parts of the range after breeding.
The tropical kingbird was formally described in 1819 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot under the binomial name Tyrannus melancholicus. Vieillot based his description on the Suirirí-Guazú that had been described by the Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara in 1805 in his book Apuntamientos para la historia natural de los páxaros del Paragüay y Rio de la Plata. The specific epithet is Latin meaning "melancholic" (that is "bad-tempered").
Three subspecies are recognised: T. m. satrapa (Cabanis & Heine, 1860) – southwest USA to north Colombia, north Venezuela and Trinidad T. m. despotes (Lichtenstein, MHK, 1823) – northeast Brazil T. m. melancholicus Vieillot, 1819 – north South America to central Argentina
An adult tropical kingbird is 22... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Tropical Kingbird in Cajas National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Cajas National Park
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
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Ochthoeca fumicolor
White-throated Tyrannulet
Mecocerculus leucophrys
Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant
Muscisaxicola alpinus
Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant
Agriornis montanus
Tufted Tit-Tyrant
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White-banded Tyrannulet
Mecocerculus stictopterus
Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant
Cnemarchus erythropygius
Vermilion Flycatcher
Pyrocephalus rubinus
Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant
Ochthoeca rufipectoralis
Crowned Chat Tyrant
Ochthoeca frontalis
Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant
Myiotheretes striaticollis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.