Tropical Kingbird

Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Tikal National Park
540 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026
96,847 Verified sightings across all 103 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ 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 →

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 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 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
92 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
93 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
94 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
95 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
96 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
97 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
98 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
99 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
Insufficient data
100 Cajas National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
101 Lauca National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
Insufficient data
102 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
103 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Tropical Kingbird in Tikal National Park?

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Kingbird sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 540 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Tropical Kingbird in Tikal National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Tropical Kingbird in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.

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