Western Kingbird
Tyrannus verticalis · Tyrant Flycatchers
Banding codeWEKI
Keys to identifying it
1Size & shape
About 8.7 in long.
2Color pattern
- Pale gray head, bright yellow belly
- Black tail with white outer edges
- Often perched on wires
3Habitat & season
Farms, fencelines, open country with trees
In northern Utah: summer.
Seen most often in May, June and July.
Share of the region’s research-grade iNaturalist bird observations each month, scaled to this bird’s peak. Highlighted bars are its peak months.
4Voice
Sharp 'kip' notes and squeaky, sputtering chatter.
“kip! · a bickering, squeaky chatter”
iNat 49946774 by Richard Littauer · East Montpelier, VT, USA · CC BY
Know it
- Fearlessly chases hawks and ravens away from its nest.
- Has a hidden red crown patch it rarely shows.
- A summer flycatcher of Utah's farms and fencelines.
Often confused with
Say's Phoebe
Cedar Waxwing- Cassin's Kingbird
- Northern Mockingbird
From iNaturalist identification data for northern Utah.
From Wikipedia
The western kingbird is a large tyrant flycatcher found throughout western North America, as far south as Mexico.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0