Couch's Kingbird
Tyrannus couchii
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
- GenusTyrannus (Kingbirds)
- SpeciesTyrannus couchii (Couch's Kingbird)
About the Couch's Kingbird
Couch's kingbird (Tyrannus couchii) is a passerine tyrant flycatcher of the kingbird genus. It is found from southern Texas along the Gulf Coast to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, Belize and northern Guatemala. It is also found in the lower stretches of the Rio Grande Valley.
The species is named after soldier and naturalist Darius N. Couch. Couch's kingbird is about 7 inches long. It has a large head and bill. It has a dark, forked tail. The head is pale gray with contrasting darker cheeks. The upperparts are grayish-olive. It has a pale throat and a darker breast. The lower breast is bright yellow. Juveniles have browner underparts than the adult and pale edges to their wings.
Couch's kingbird can easily be confused with the related tropical kingbird (T. melancholicus), which is extremely similar. In fact, Couch's kingbird was considered conspecific with the tropical kingbird until 1979. The easiest way to distinguish between the two species is to listen for their call: Couch's kingbird has a raspier, more complex call that is more varied in pitch. In addition, Couch's kingbird lives in a more wooded environment than the tropical kingbird... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Tyrannus forficatus
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Tyrannus savana
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Myiarchus tuberculifer
Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Tolmomyias sulphurescens
Eye-ringed Flatbill
Rhynchocyclus brevirostris
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus tyrannulus
Bright-rumped Attila
Attila spadiceus
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Northern Bentbill
Oncostoma cinereigulare
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
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 5 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Biotopo Cerro Cahuí | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 8 | Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 9 | Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 10 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Couch's Kingbird in Tikal National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Couch's Kingbird sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 333 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Couch's Kingbird in Tikal National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Couch's Kingbird in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.