King of Birds? Eastern Kingbird Can you believe that this eight-inch-long flycatcher has the reputation of a being a tyrant among birds? Although the Eastern Kingbird is small, it can be fiercely aggressive to the point of picking fights with much larger birds. That makes it a tyrant, if not a king! Since the 1700s, it’s official Latin name has been Tyrannus tyrannus, with a double emphasis on tyrant! To protect his territory, the Kingbird will attack any passing bird that enters, whether it’s a Blue Jay, crow, hawk or eagle. Obviously, he prefers to be left alone! The solitary, unsociable Eastern Kingbird is easy to find, since this species chooses to live in wide-open places, perching somewhere where they can wait for insects to fly by. Any available place is acceptable — trees, utility wires, ropes, fenceposts… At the Beaufort Golf Club, Kingbirds repeatedly choose signs as perches… If he spots an insect, he will leave his perch to catch it in mid-air or snatch it from the ground. Here’s a closer view of this handsome bird, showing the wide, flat bill for scooping insects… Besides its contrasting black and white plumage, one of the distinctive markings of the Eastern Kingbird is the white tip on the tail… Only during mating season does the anti-social Eastern Kingbird tolerate the presence of another bird. Here is a mating pair perched together in a tree, but not too close… Eastern Kingbirds This species spends only part of the year here in coastal North Carolina, arriving in March or April, staying until August, then migrating to the Amazon region of South America. In preparation for migration, these solitary creatures form into large flocks, suddenly becoming sociable for the flight and during their stay in the tropics. Here’s a close relative of the Kingbird… Great-Crested Flycatcher >> Nesting Flycatchers >> Please follow and like: Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Post navigation Well-Hidden Night-Heron“Red-Wing”