Cassin's kingbird is a large tyrant flycatcher native to western North America. The name of this bird commemorates the American ornithologist John Cassin.
Region
Western North America
Typical Environment
Breeds from the interior of California, the Great Basin, and the Southwestern United States south through northern and central Mexico. Favors open woodlands, riparian corridors with cottonwoods or sycamores, oak savannas, desert edges, ranchlands, and towns with scattered tall trees and utility lines. Often uses prominent perches such as fence posts and wires from which it launches aerial sallies. Northern breeders migrate to winter mainly in western Mexico; birds in the southern part of the range can be resident.
Altitude Range
0–2500 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Cassin's kingbird is a large tyrant flycatcher native to western North America, often seen sallying from exposed perches to catch flying insects. It is named for American ornithologist John Cassin. The species is famously bold, aggressively defending nests against much larger birds and even mammals. It can be confused with Western Kingbird, but is darker gray with a small whitish throat patch and a narrow pale terminal band on the tail.
Comparison of a Cassin's (on the left) and western kingbird
U.S. Government lithograph of Cassin's kingbird
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with sallying flights
Social Behavior
Pairs defend nesting territories vigorously during the breeding season. The nest is a bulky cup placed high in a tree or on a horizontal limb; 2–4 eggs are typical. Both parents feed the nestlings, and adults often mob raptors and corvids near the nest.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Calls are sharp, buzzy kip and kis-bew notes, often delivered from exposed perches. The dawn song can be a rapid, insistent series of harsh phrases. Vocalizations are loud and carry far, befitting the species name vociferans.
