Eastern Kingbird

Description:

The Eastern Kingbird is gray-black above and white below. Its most distinctive field mark is the white band at the tip of its black tail. Like other flycatchers it maintains an upright posture.

Habitat:

Spotted near a wetland at the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. In Washington, Eastern Kingbirds forage in habitat similar to that of Western Kingbirds, open shrub-steppe and agricultural areas. Their breeding habitat, however, is quite different. They nest in hardwood stands, almost always on or near rivers, streams, or other wetlands. Because of their different foraging and breeding habitats, they are commonly found at edges where these habitats meet.

Notes:

Eastern Kingbirds are historically a bird of the eastern part of the US, and their migration patterns trace their westward expansion. Eastern Kingbirds arrive in Washington by late May, from the east, making them one of Washington's latest spring migrants. They begin to leave in August, with the last few remaining until September. They head east over the Rocky Mountains and travel south to South America from there.