Field
Marks: A solidly built, elongated
kingbird with a heavy bill. This
bird is abundant in open areas and grasslands with sufficient scattered trees to
offer perching posts. This bird
hawks for insects as do other flycatchers.
Adults have a gray head, wings, and back, with greenish wash on their
back. Throat is dusky white and
gray upper breast. Pale lemon-yellow lower breast and belly.
The tail is black with white outer feathers.
Voice:
Call is a sharp, far-carrying kit or whit.
They also give a flight song and other chattering notes.
Where
found: Sw. Canada south to n. Mexico.
Winters mainly from nw. Mexico to Nicaragua.
Texas:
Migrant (Mar-May, Sept – Oct) throughout.
Breeds from Panhandle and Trans-Pecos east to Denton, Dallas, Waco,
Austin, San Antonio; south to Del Rio, San Marcos.
Habitat:
Semi-open country. Scattered in
trees, farms, roadsides, and towns. This picture was taken in San Antonio,
Texas. The birds had a nest in a neighbor’s tree.
Nest:
A saucer of twigs, grasses, on horizontal branch, post, pole.
Eggs (3-5) boldly marked.