Scissor-tailed flycatcher

E57054

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is a striking North American songbird known for its extremely long, forked tail and graceful aerial insect-hunting displays.


Statements (56)
Predicate Object
instanceOf bird species
passerine
songbird
aggressiveBehavior defends nest vigorously
assessedBy IUCN
averageTailLength up to about 23 cm in males
behavior often perches on fences and wires
performs aerial courtship displays
binomialName Tyrannus forficatus
breedingRange Kansas
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Texas
western Louisiana
class Aves
clutchSize 3–6 eggs
commonName Scissor-tailed flycatcher
Texas bird-of-paradise
conservationStatus Least Concern
describedBy Johann Friedrich Gmelin
diet insects
eggColor white to cream with dark markings
family Tyrannidae
foragingStrategy aerial hawking
perch-and-sally hunting
genus Tyrannus
habitat grasslands
open country
pastures
roadsides with scattered trees
savannas
kingdom Animalia
migratoryBehavior long-distance migrant
nativeRange Great Plains
South-central United States
nestLocation shrubs
trees
nestType open cup nest
notableFeature acrobatic flight displays
extremely long forked tail
order Passeriformes
phylum Chordata
plumageColor black and white tail
pale gray upperparts
salmon-pink flanks
salmon-pink underwing coverts
whitish head and neck
sexualDimorphism males have longer tails than females
stateBirdOf Oklahoma
taxonRank species
threats habitat loss
severe weather events
vocalization sharp calls and chatters
winteringRange Central America
Mexico
yearDescribed 1789

Referenced by (3)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
stateBird
Scissor-tailed flycatcher
commonName

Please wait…