Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
GenusTyrannus (Kingbirds)
SpeciesTyrannus melancholicus (Tropical Kingbird)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Joshua Tree National Park

1 Verified sightings at Joshua Tree National Park From 2019 to 2026

96,424 Verified sightings across all 96 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park

Tyrannus verticalis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tyrannus tyrannus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Tyrannus vociferans

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Sayornis nigricans

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Sayornis saya

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Pyrocephalus rubinus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Myiarchus cinerascens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Empidonax difficilis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Contopus sordidulus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Empidonax wrightii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Empidonax traillii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Empidonax hammondii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~70%
2	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
3	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	~70%
4	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
5	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~70%
6	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~60%
7	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~60%
8	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~60%
9	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
10	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~60%
11	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~60%
12	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
13	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~60%
14	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~60%
15	Canaima National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~60%
16	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~50%
17	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~50%
18	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
19	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
20	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~50%
21	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~50%
22	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~50%
23	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~50%
24	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
25	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~50%
26	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~50%
27	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
28	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	~50%
29	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~50%
30	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~50%
31	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~50%
32	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
33	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~50%
34	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
35	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~50%
36	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~40%
37	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~40%
38	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~40%
39	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~40%
40	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
41	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
42	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
43	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
44	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
45	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
46	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~40%
47	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
48	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~40%
49	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
50	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
51	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
52	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
53	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~40%
54	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~40%
55	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~40%
56	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~40%
57	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
58	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~30%
59	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~30%
60	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
61	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~30%
62	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~30%
63	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~30%
64	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~30%
65	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~30%
66	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~30%
67	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~30%
68	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
69	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
70	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
71	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
72	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
73	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~20%
74	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
75	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
76	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
77	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
78	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
79	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~20%
80	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
81	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
82	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
83	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
84	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
85	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
86	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	<5%
87	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
88	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
89	Huascarán National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
90	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
91	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
92	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
93	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	Insufficient data
94	Cajas National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
95	Lauca National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	Insufficient data
96	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

← Back to Joshua Tree National Park

Tropical Kingbird

About the Tropical Kingbird

Recent sightings of Tropical Kingbird in Joshua Tree National Park

Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park

Western Kingbird

Eastern Kingbird

Cassin's Kingbird

Black Phoebe

Say's Phoebe

Vermilion Flycatcher

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Western Wood-Pewee

Gray Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Hammond's Flycatcher

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found