SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER GALLERY
(Tyrannus forficatus)
eBird offers this description of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: Long, forked tail is elegant and unlike any other species in the U.S. Light gray above with salmon underwings. About the size of a robin with more slender body and much longer tail. Breeds in open country of Texas and Oklahoma where it forages on large insects; winters in Mexico and Central America. Might be confused with Fork-tailed Flycatcher in winter range, but paler plumage with salmon underwings. All About Birds expands on the description with this: An elegant gray and salmon-pink flycatcher festooned with an absurdly long tail, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is the bird to look for on fence wires in the south-central United States. They typically perch in the open, where their long, forked tails make an unmistakable silhouette. The tail proves useful as they expertly catch insects on the wing with sharp midair twists and turns. In late summer and early fall, scissor-tails gather in large, bickering flocks to migrate to Mexico and Central America.
I often see the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher perched on highwires along the road I live on, as it passes between two large fields. It has been difficult to get a good picture, but I will keep working at it! Yesterday on my evening walk (June 8, 2020) I watched several of these birds as they perched, then dove down in pursuit of insects– great fun, and beautiful little birds
I was able to see and photograph a number of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers on my 2020 Father’s Day birding trip to the Rio Grande Valley. The photo below was my favorite photo from that trip…look at the length of the tail on this elegant bird! For my blog that covers the trip that I took this photo on, click here.
On March 31, 2024, while driving on one of the rural roads near my home, I spotted one of my first Scissor-tailed Flycatchers for the Spring. It was a cooperative bird and I was able to get some good looks. A beautiful bird on a beautiful Spring day!
“Cool Facts” About The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher From All About Birds:
- 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.
- A member of the kingbird genus Tyrannus, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers resemble other kingbirds in behavior, voice, and morphology. Only one other Tyrannus species—the Fork-tailed Flycatcher—has a dramatically long tail.
- Scissor-tailed Flycatchers tend to wander widely on their way to and from the wintering grounds, a habit they share with Fork-tailed Flycatchers and Tropical Kingbirds. During spring and fall they may show up almost anywhere in North America, as far north as British Columbia and Nova Scotia.