How to Identify aWestern Kingbird
Tyrannus verticalis · 7.9–9.4 in (20–24 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Pale gray head and chest, bright yellow belly, and a black tail with crisp white outer edges. Sexes look alike.
Female
Identical to the male in the field.
Male photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Second photo: Gary L. Clark / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Field marks
- Bright yellow belly below a gray chest
- Black tail with white outer edges
- Upright posture on fences and wires
- Pale gray head with a faint dark mask
Similar species
What it sounds like
A sharp bickering "kip" and a fast, sputtering, squeaky chatter.
Behaviour that gives it away
Fiercely mobs hawks, ravens and even people that come near the nest, despite being a songbird.
Habitat & range
Open country, farmland, roadsides, towns and parks across the western states in summer.
When you'll see it
A summer visitor that arrives to breed in western, central and southwestern North America.
What it eats
Flying insects caught on sallies from an exposed perch, plus some berries.
Did you know?
It readily nests on utility poles and building ledges, which has helped it spread as the West was settled.
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