| The Eastern Kingbird is a member of the Flycatcher family, a small group of birds most often observed perched on exposed twigs and branches. It is from these perches that they are seen darting forth to snap up passing insects. Save for an occasional jerk of the tail they appear much less nervous than other small birds, in fact, the Eastern Kingbird usually sits quite motionless. The will also feed on berries which they deftly pluck while in flight.
Of the nine members of the Flycatcher family regularly observed in southwest Ohio, the kingbird is the most boldly marked and therefore, most recognizable. Most of the flycatchers are inconspicuously clad in shades of olive drab, with the exception of the crested flycatcher, and are so similar that they are difficult to distinguish by markings alone. Their voices and nesting, however, are distinctly different.
The kingbird is so named because of its brilliant orange crown patch which, although it is always emphasized in artist's renditions, is almost never visible in the field because it lies concealed beneath the black head feathers. The tail is also black with a white terminal band. The wings and the rest of the upperparts are bluish-black while the throat and underparts are white.
The kingbird's outstanding characteristic is its behavior, which is audacious, defiant and fearless in the defense of its territory. Crows and hawks are pursued with such heated determination to make an observer inclined to stand and applaud. Squirrels are driven into hiding and Blue Jays are knocked from the perches. These feisty birds lived up to their Latin name "tyrant of tyrants".
Kingbirds are almost always observed in open habitats such as savannas rangelands and riverside groves and are seldom seen in deep woods. They are especially attracted to golf courses. Their breeding range extends from the Atlantic coast across the United States and Canada but is absent from southwestern United States. The Kingbird winters in South America from Columbia to northern Chile and northern Argentina.
A clutch consists of 3 to 5 white eggs, mottled with brown, olive or lavender and laid in a large bulky nest which consists of heaps of twigs, straw and twine lined with hair and rootlets. It is a common cowbird host but it will usually eject or damage the parasites eggs. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 15 to 18 days, and leave the nest 26 to 28 days after hatching but parents will continue to feed their young up to five weeks after they have fledged.
Length 8 to 9 inches
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