Dastardly Duos: Kingbirds

By Larry Liese

Cassin's Kingbird, Shawn Cooper

This article originally appeared in the April 2004 issue of the Vermilion Flycatcher.

This month’s group of three species are aptly named. The kingbirds are an aggressive bunch, taking no crap from anybody! Twice I’ve seen a Thick-billed Kingbird launch itself at a passing Gray Hawk and attach itself to the hawk’s back. Both times it hung on for several seconds, only releasing its grip when the hawk landed. Now that’s chutzpah! This month we’ll take a look at three of them, the Western (Tyrannus verticalis), Cassin’s (Tyrannus vociferans), and Tropical (Tyrannus melancholicus) Kingbirds.

Kingbirds like open areas, perching conspicuously and making sallies out for larger insects. Our three species here share many similarities, but can be discerned with a little practice. Both the Western and Cassin’s are quite common in Southeast Arizona in the warmer months, and Tropical Kingbirds (listed as rare and local) seem to be seen in more new areas every summer. Key things to look for in differentiating these birds are tail shape and color, bill size and shape, how the grays, yellows & whites come together in the upper breast area, and of course voice. 

Western Kingbird, Scott Olmstead

As a beginning birder, I used to patiently wait for a kingbird to fly, in order to see the tail pattern, looking for the white outer tail feathers of the Western or the buffy tail tips of Cassin’s. While this still works, I find it easier to just note the contrast between crown and chin. The Cassin’s has a white chin and quite dark gray crown; the Western still has a white chin, but it is less strongly bordered and contrasts less with the lighter gray crown. Also note the darker gray breast band on the Cassin’s.

If you’re looking at a kingbird and something ‘looks funny’, maybe you’ve got a Tropical! Look for a distinctly larger bill pointing back towards a dusky cheek-patch. It would have a brighter yellow lower belly with yellow rising much farther up the breast than the others. Now how about that notched tail? I’ve seen birders find more notched tails on kingbirds than the number of Tropicals probably ever found in the state! Beware molting tail feathers, and birds just holding their tails spread a little apart. Though the Tropical will have a distinct notch in the tail, I suggest cinching the bill-size/face-head detail first, and then using the tail notch as a check, although poor lighting conditions will make this more difficult.

The Tropical has a brownish tail, the Cassin’s blackish, and the Western a dark black. Another lesser-known field mark is that the wing-coverts on the Western are uniformly darkish, while the others have coverts with pale edges. Try seeing these subtle differences.

Tropical Kingbird, Peter Brannon

Common calls are thankfully quite different among these three. The Cassin’s is a sharp k’beer, the Western’s is a k’bric or pik, and the Tropical gives a long twittering call. Getting from “Oh, I’ve heard that before!” to “Hey, that’s a Western!” takes a little practice. Watching the birds make their calls after you identify them will help cement the vocal and visual cues together in your memory. Believe me, it works!

As you read this, both Cassin’s and Westerns are here in Southeast Arizona, and some Tropicals are starting to arrive. Look for the latter at Sweetwater Wetlands, Arivaca Cienega, Canoa Ranch, along the Santa Cruz River around Tubac, and at the San Pedro RNCA. Good luck!