The Western Kingbird

As far as Kingbirds go, I haven't a clue.  They all look the same to me with variations of yellow on their fronts:)  So if you're an advanced birder of special powers and think I've got the bird all wrong, please let me know.  I won't be upset:)  This blogging experience is about learning and growing from one another. But the one thing I do know for certain is that these birds were a fun spot the day I went searching for Buntings:)  A happy accident:) But from what I can tell, this is the Western Kingbird. Or maybe it's the Tropical Kingbird?  Help me birders:)

I said to myself as I approached the bridge near the Santa Cruz river in Tucson, "Hello there, what are you?" Then I got closer and noticed more of them together!  I had definitely not seen this bird in Tucson before.  So indeed, it was a lifer. Perhaps one of those birds that people say, "Oh you've never seen that bird before?  I see them here all the time."

Again, I was alone on this hot and moist day, but I was able to get very close to this bird.  The Kingbird was the size of a Robin or Curve Billed Thrasher.  And when it flew, I smiled.  So graceful.  There were 4 of them that sat on fence lines along the wash.

Western Kingbirds are not really desert birds. Their presence in the Sonoran Desert is dependent on better watered habitats. Look for them along fences and utility wires in agricultural districts. They can also be found in semi-open riparian and grassland habitats. Riparian zones with more trees tend to favor the similar-looking Cassin's Kingbird. They are sometimes found in urban areas of Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona. Source

Kingbirds are active hunters of flying insects and will target quite large ones such as cicadas. Their upright posture is typical of flycatchers.  And there were a lot of bugs that day.  This summer has been difficult on my legs with all the chiggers and mosquitoes.

The Western Kingbird(and Tropical Kingbird) is a summer breeding visitor to the mountains around Tucson, preferring tree lined creek sides.  But because of a crazy monsoon storm, they were found along the heavily tree'd Santa Cruz River. With summer coming to a close, they will be flying off for tropical locations this winter.  And like this bird suggests, it's time to fly!  More tomorrow.