Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
- 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 →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Cassin's Kingbird
Tyrannus vociferans
Western Kingbird
Tyrannus verticalis
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Thick-billed Kingbird
Tyrannus crassirostris
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Tyrannus forficatus
Vermilion Flycatcher
Pyrocephalus rubinus
Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
Say's Phoebe
Sayornis saya
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus tyrannulus
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Myiarchus cinerascens
Western Wood-Pewee
Contopus sordidulus
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Empidonax difficilis
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Tropical Kingbird in Saguaro National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Kingbird sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 1,166 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Tropical Kingbird in Saguaro National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Tropical Kingbird in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.