Color online - Range Map - Song

Description: The Eastern Kingbird measures about 8 inches in length. It has a dark gray head, neck, back, wings and tail, and a white throat, breast and stomach. One of the most noticeable characterstics of the Eastern Kingbird is its white tail band, which is easily seen in flight. The Eastern Kingbird also has a red patch of feathers on its head that may be displayed when the bird is agitated. The red feathers, however, are not usually visible. Males and females are virtually identical.

Habitat/Range/Behavior/Diet: The Eastern Kingbird is a common flycatcher of open areas, open woodlands, golf courses, farms, and neighborhoods. Eastern Kingbirds are often observed perched on highway telephone wires and barbed-wire fences.

The Eastern Kingbird is locally very common throughout the eastern United States, west to the Rocky Mountains. In some areas of its range, the Eastern Kingbird is absent or rare. Kingbirds usually occur in small flocks, where they catch insects in mid-air before returning to their original perch. Kingbirds are extremely aggressive to predators, and will noisily mob hawks and other large birds that venture too close to their nesting grounds.