The
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) is a long-tailed
insect-eating bird closely related to the kingbirds. Adult
birds have grey upper parts and light underparts with
pinkish flanks. They have dark wings and an extremely
long black tail. Immature birds are duller in colour and
have a shorter tail. Their breeding habitat is open shrubby
country with scattered trees in the south central United
States and northeastern Mexico. They build a cup nest
in a tree or shrub on a branch, sometimes using artificial
sites such as telephone poles. The male performs a spectacular
aerial display during courtship with his long tail streaming
out behind him. Both parents feed the young. Like other
kingbirds, they are very aggressive in defending their
nest. They migrate to southern Mexico and Central America.
They regularly stray to the ocean coasts of the US and
are occasional visitors to southern Canada. |
