Birds of the World

    PASSERIFORMES: Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura)  
Genus: Tyrannus (13 species)


White-throated Kingbird
White-throated Kingbird (Tyrannus albogularis)
Range: SA: Amazonia and c Brazil
Santarem, Brazil  
   
Photograph by dfaulder     Copyright and usage info

Austral migrant to west Amazon from April to October. Note white throat and lack of olive chest vs. common Tropical Kingbird.

Loggerhead Kingbird
Loggerhead Kingbird (Tyrannus caudifasciatus bahamensis)
Range: NA: Greater Antilles
Lucaya, Bahamas  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Couch's Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii)
Range: NA, MA: s Texas, e Mexico to Belize
Estero Llano Grande State Park, Texas, United States  
   
Photograph by Andy Reago     Copyright and usage info

Couch's has a grey head, olive back, and yellow chest. It has a white chin (similar to Western Kingbird and Tropical Kingbird). The Tropical Kingbird has a yellow-olive chest, but it can be difficult to be sure in the field.

Thick-billed Kingbird
Thick-billed Kingbird (Tyrannus crassirostris)
Range: NA, MA: sw USA to Guatemala
Horsethief Canyon Park, California,  
   
Photograph by Matt Grube   © All Rights Reserved.


Giant Kingbird
Giant Kingbird (Tyrannus cubensis) Endangered
Range: NA: Cuba
La Belen National Park, Najasa, Camagüey, Cuba  
   
Photograph by Allan Hopkins     Copyright and usage info

Rare and local.

Grey Kingbird
Grey Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis dominicensis)
Range: NA: se USA and West Indies
Florida Keys,  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Migrates north in the summer from South America to Caribbean, as does the Black-whiskered Vireo and Swallow-tailed Kite.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
Range: NA: c USA to ne Mexico
Carretera a PN Palo Verde, Guanacaste, Costa Rica  
   
Photograph by Jorge Obando Gutierrez   © Copyrighted, All Rights Reserved.



Tropical Kingbird
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus melancholicus)
Range: NA, MA, SA: sw USA to c Argentina
Bahia Solano, Choco, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Note yellow-olive chest and grey chin/throat to differentiate from various Central American and austral migratory species. Note however the Tropical Kingbird has a lighter chin/throat in Central America than the rest of its range. Common in most of its range, and always outside of the forest.
From front.

Snowy-throated Kingbird
Snowy-throated Kingbird (Tyrannus niveigularis)
Range: SA: sw Colombia to w Peru
Chaparrí Reserve, Lambayeque region, Peru  
   
Photograph by Tropical Birding (Nick Athanas)   © All Rights Reserved.

Snowy-throated Kingbird
Snowy-throated Kingbird (Tyrannus niveigularis)
Range: SA: sw Colombia to w Peru
ACP Amotape, Zorritos, Tumbes, Peru
  Note white throat and chest.
   
Photograph by Fernando Angulo Pratolongo   © All Rights Reserved.


Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana sanctaemartae)
Range: MA, SA: s Mexico to Uruguay
Necocli, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
Range: NA: widespread
Everglades National Park, Florida, USA  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Northern migrant.

Western Kingbird
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)
Range: NA: nw, nc Canada to n Mexico
Lovewell State Park, Kansas,  
   
Photograph by Mdf (Wikipedia)     Copyright and usage info

Western has a light grey head, back and chest, with a white chin (like Couch's Kingbird and Tropical Kingbird). Western has no white edges on tail feathers, and has a greyish or greyish yellow chest (not an olive or bright yellow chest like those other two).

Cassin's Kingbird
Cassin's Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans vociferans)
Range: NA, MA: s USA to Belize
Sawmill Canyon, Arizona,  
   
Photograph by Tropical Birding (Nick Athanas)   © All Rights Reserved.

Cassin's has a dark grey head, back and chest, with a white chin (like Couch's Kingbird). Similar to but darker than Western Kingbird.


© Tom Friedel - All Rights Reserved, except for images and data otherwise noted.       Colombia       Panama       Ecuador       Costa Rica       Mexico
Experimental sites:       Peru       Venezuela       The World       Brazil       Bolivia
Really Experimental sites:       Guyana       Cuba