Birds of Mexico

    PASSERIFORMES: Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura)  
Genus: Tyrannus (8 species, 13 worldwide)


Couch's Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii)
Estero Llano Grande State Park, Texas, United States  
   
Photograph by Andy Reago     Copyright and usage info

Couch's has a grey head, olive back, and yellow chest. It has a white chin (similar to Western Kingbird and Tropical Kingbird). The Tropical Kingbird has a yellow-olive chest, but it can be difficult to be sure in the field.

Thick-billed Kingbird
Thick-billed Kingbird (Tyrannus crassirostris)
Horsethief Canyon Park, California,  
   
Photograph by Matt Grube   © All Rights Reserved.


Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
Carretera a PN Palo Verde, Guanacaste, Costa Rica  
   
Photograph by Jorge Obando Gutierrez   © Copyrighted, All Rights Reserved.



Tropical Kingbird
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus melancholicus)
Bahia Solano, Choco, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Note yellow-olive chest and grey chin/throat to differentiate from various Central American and austral migratory species. Note however the Tropical Kingbird has a lighter chin/throat in Central America than the rest of its range. Common in most of its range, and always outside of the forest.
From front.

Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana sanctaemartae)
Necocli, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
Everglades National Park, Florida, USA  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Northern migrant.

Western Kingbird
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)
Lovewell State Park, Kansas,  
   
Photograph by Mdf (Wikipedia)     Copyright and usage info

Western has a light grey head, back and chest, with a white chin (like Couch's Kingbird and Tropical Kingbird). Western has no white edges on tail feathers, and has a greyish or greyish yellow chest (not an olive or bright yellow chest like those other two).

Cassin's Kingbird
Cassin's Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans vociferans)
Sawmill Canyon, Arizona,  
   
Photograph by Tropical Birding (Nick Athanas)   © All Rights Reserved.

Cassin's has a dark grey head, back and chest, with a white chin (like Couch's Kingbird). Similar to but darker than Western Kingbird.


© Tom Friedel - All Rights Reserved, except for images and data otherwise noted.       Colombia       Panama       Ecuador       Costa Rica       Mexico
Experimental sites:       Peru       Venezuela       The World       Brazil       Bolivia
Really Experimental sites:       Guyana       Cuba