Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
- GenusTyrannus (Kingbirds)
- SpeciesTyrannus tyrannus (Eastern Kingbird)
About the Eastern Kingbird
The eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 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.
The eastern kingbird was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name of Lanius tyrannus. The present genus Tyrannus was introduced in 1799 by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède with the eastern kingbird as the type species. The species is monotypic; no subspecies are recognised.
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... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Eastern Kingbird in Gros Morne National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Gros Morne National Park
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Empidonax flaviventris
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
Alder Flycatcher
Empidonax alnorum
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
Black-and-white Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Yellow Warbler
Setophaga petechia
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Regulus calendula
Swainson's Thrush
Catharus ustulatus
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.