Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
- 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 →
Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Couch's Kingbird
Tyrannus couchii
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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Eastern Kingbird in Tikal National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eastern Kingbird sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Eastern Kingbird in Tikal National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Eastern Kingbird in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.