Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Description:

spotted at Brazoria wildlife refuge. 14" of which more than half is a very long and deeply-forked black and white tail, adult has bright salmon-pink sides and belly, head, upper-back and breast pale grayish white. breeds from eastern Colorado and Nebraska south to Texas and Louisiana, winters mostly south of border and southern Florida. Nesting: 5 creamy brown-spotted eggs in a bulky stick nest lined with soft materials placed in a solitary, isolated tree. Diet: Almost entirely insects; few berries. Voice: a harsh kee-kee-kee-kee!, also chattering notes like that of Western Kingbird

Habitat:

Open and semi-open country, roadsides, chaparral, ranches. Often seen perched on utility wires or fences.

Notes:

Spirited defender of territory against crows, hawks, etc. Gregarious in non-breeding season, Male performs acrobatic "sky dance" during courtship which even includes a few reverse summersaults in mid-air! •The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher forms large premigratory roosts in late summer, with up to 1,000 birds in one flock. They often roost near towns, perhaps taking advantage of the large trees as roosting sites. •The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher uses many human products in its nest, such as string, cloth, paper, carpet fuzz, and cigarette filters. One study of nests in an urban area in Texas found that artificial materials accounted for 30% of the weight of nests. •Inclement weather can be an important factor in causing nest failure of open country birds. High winds and thunderstorms can destroy large numbers of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher nests in some years, accounting for nearly half of all nest failures.