Skip to content
Kingbird
EntityQ935894· pop 31· linked from 490 articles

Also known as Tyrannus

Tyrannus is a genus of small passerine birds in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae that are native to the Americas. The majority are named as kingbirds.

Species

Genus

  1. PhylumChordata
  2. ClassAves
  3. OrderPasseriformes
  4. FamilyTyrannidae

via

~3 min read

Encyclopedic overview

4 sections
Contents
  • Description
  • Taxonomy
  • Species
  • References

Tyrannus is a genus of small passerine birds in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae that are native to the Americas. The majority are named as kingbirds.

==Description== They prefer semi-open or open areas. These birds wait on an exposed perch and then catch insects in flight. They have long pointed wings and large broad bills. These birds tend to defend their breeding territories aggressively, often chasing away much larger birds. A kingbird was photographed in 2009 defending its young by landing on and sinking its talons into the back of a red-tailed hawk and pecking its skull until the red-tailed hawk gave up and flew away.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Kingbird” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (26)