Allow me to introduce Myself: I'm a Kingbird!
Where You'll Most Likely Find Me: We are a well-traveled bunch. During the winter months, you will find us in warm places in Central and South America. During the summer months, we travel north to areas between the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. We might hang out in states like Texas, Utah and areas like the Pacific Northwest.
What I Like to Eat: Insects including bees, wasps, beetles, caterpillars, moths, and berries
Betcha Didn't Know This About Me: We have the ability to catch our dinner in midair and then take it back to our perch to eat. If our prey is too large for us to swallow whole, we will hold it in our feet and eat it piece by piece. Nice, huh?
Who We Are: There are a variety of different Kingbirds – Cassin's, Eastern, Western, Gray, Thick-billed, Olive-backed, Loggerhead and Tropical. Our colors range from black to grey to brown depending on the type of Kingbird. Though we are small in size (about 8 to 9 inches), most of our wingspans can reach up to 15 inches.
Hanging Out. Notice the birds hanging out on the utility wires and fences where you live? That's us. We also love to linger in wooded habitats, trees and shrubs. We prefer to hang in small groups or often times by ourselves. Each type of Kingbird has a distinct "song" or call to communicate.
Perfect Vision: We can spot an insect to feast on from about 65 feet away from our perch.
Co-Parenting: Both male and female Kingbirds are responsible for feeding their baby birds, which typically stay in the nests up to 20 days (depending on the breed of bird) after they are born.
Aggressive Nature: We are extremely territorial and have no problem chasing away crows, hawks, ravens, cats, dogs and even people away from our territory if need be.