116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Bird-watching: Tale of the tyrants
Eastern and western kingbirds call Iowa home in the warmer months
The sound of a metallic twitter catches your attention, followed by the sight of a black and white flash hovering above.
You may have just witnessed the territorial display of an eastern kingbird.
Iowa has two regular flycatchers in the genus tyrannus or the “tyrant” flycatchers. These include eastern kingbird and western kingbird. The other two are the rare scissor-tailed flycatcher and the mega-rare fork-tailed flycatcher.
Tyrant flycatchers are larger than most of the other flycatcher species seen in Iowa. Eastern kingbird is distributed all over the state, while western is patchy in mostly the western half of Iowa.
The Des Moines Metropolitan Area has had nesting western kingbirds since maybe the early 1990s. The far western edge of the state, along the Missouri River, is closer to the eastern edge of their established summer range.
While eastern kingbirds do inhabit the eastern United States, their common name is a misnomer. They have been located all over the western states, with the highest densities in Washington, Oregon and Canadian provinces from Manitoba west to British Columbia.
Eastern kingbirds have a black head with an upperside consisting of grayish scapulars (back) and dark flight feathers. The underside is white. Another great field mark to look for is the white tip of the tail feathers.
Western kingbirds have a gray head with dirty yellow scapulars and brownish flight feather on the upperside. The underside consists of a bright yellow belly transitioning up the breast to a white throat. They are considered “yellow-bellied” kingbirds, of which there are several species in the United States. One way to differentiate them within the yellow-bellied kingbirds is by both their sound and their white outer tail feathers.
Eastern kingbirds will gather in larger flocks in late August and September. They will stage in areas offering good access to food. Seeing about 10 to 60 is common. When they migrate, however, much larger groups have been witnessed in Iowa. They winter in lowlands from southern Colombia to northern Argentina.
Western kingbird nests throughout much of the U.S. west of the Missouri River, from southwestern Canada down to northern Mexico. They winter along the Pacific coast of Mexico down to Costa Rica, with some also wintering in southern Florida.
Look for kingbirds on fence lines and utility wires in rural areas. Eastern kingbirds also will perch at the tops of tall trees, launching themselves in pursuit of flying insects to eat. For some reason, Western kingbirds have an affinity to nest near electrical substations. It is always worth safely checking any substation for any gray and yellow perching birds.
Birds of June
The avifauna seen in June is largely comprised of nester
- Not surprisingly, many of the Breeding Bird Surveys, administered by the USGS, take place in early June. By the month’s start, many birds already are done building nests. Waterfowl, such as Canada geese, wood ducks and mallards may already have far-developed young.
- Sandhill cranes continue to make a strong comeback in the state. Once a widespread breeder, many are only migrating through Iowa in spring and fall. However, there has been an uptick in the number that stay to breed. Look for sandhill cranes at marshes, such as the one west of Center Point-Urbana High School (private so view from road). The Round Pond area at Hawkeye WMA can be productive. Sweet Marsh WMA in Bremer County and Cone Marsh WMA in Louisa County also host annually breeding cranes.
- Henslow’s sparrow is a grassland specialist that is now showing signs of recovery in many parts of Iowa. Any sizable tract of mid-level grassland may host them. One of the best places to see the species is at Indiangrass Hills in Iowa County. See birding calendar for information on an amazing upcoming field trip open to all.
- White-eyed vireo seem to be making a comeback in the Eastern Iowa Corridor as well. eBird.org is a great place to look for recent sightings. You can also search for local or more regional birding hot spots using eBird. MacBride Nature Recreation Area has been an excellent place to hear and possibly see white-eye vireo over the last few years. The park also hosts breeding warbling, red-eyed and yellow-throated vireos.
Birding Calendar
- Indiangrass Hills IBA, June 11, 6:30 a.m.-noon: Indiangrass Hills in Iowa County for breeding grassland birds. Leader Mark Brown will guide through this 640-acre restored prairie. Expect to see Henslow’s sparrow, grasshopper sparrow, sedge wren, orchard oriole, bobolink and more. In recent years both nesting loggerhead shrike and northern mockingbird also have been found. There will be extensive walking on mowed grass paths which may be wet, so come prepared with the proper footwear. Don’t forget bug spray and water.
Meet at 6:30 a.m. at Kohl’s parking lot, 2795 Commerce Dr., Coralville, or at 7:15 a.m. at Indiangrass Hills parking lot, 4549 I Ave, Williamsburg. GPS to parking lot if meeting on site (41.638054, -92.143896). Return time is around noon.
Brandon Caswell has a keen interest in natural and social sciences. He enjoys bird-watching and nature photography in his spare time. He and his wife live in Marion with their two children.
Daily Newsletters