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English and Scientific names: |
Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
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Number of individuals: |
1 adult |
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Locality: LOUISIANA: |
Jefferson |
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Specific Locality: |
Grand Isle behind Sureway woods (Landry-Leblanc Tract) |
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Date(s) when observed: |
June 23, 2005 |
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Time(s) of day when
observed: |
3:05 p.m.--3:30 p.m. |
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Reporting observer and address: |
David P. Muth New Orleans, La. |
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Other observers accompanying reporter who
also identified the bird(s): |
Jean Landry |
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Other
observers who independently identified the bird(s) |
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Light
conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount
of light): |
summer afternoon,
bright light, primarily behind or to the left of observers. |
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Optical
equipment: |
Eagle Optics Platinum
10x40 |
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Distance to
bird(s): |
50-100' |
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Duration of
observation: |
a little less than an
hour all told |
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Habitat: |
scrubby filled marsh on backside of Grand Isle. Coarse grasses, ragweed, goldenrod, dewberry brambles, rattlebox, shrubs primarily wax myrtle and baccharis--scattered black willow and tallow were primary perches |
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Behavior of bird:
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seen perched and flying between perches, sallying for flying insects; perched both inside willow canopy and on emergent snags, sang briefly. |
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Description:
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A yellow-bellied kingbird with gray head, darker mask, whitish throat, olive chest and green back, brown-black wings and tail, with pale edges to the "tertials' and upper wing coverts. The tail was deeply forked with no trace of white on the outer retrices or white tips. Bill was very prominent, long and black. |
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Voice: |
a short rapid twitter--kip-kip-kip-kip-kip, occasionally interspersed with a slower, shorter kep-kep-keo phrase |
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Similar
species: |
Couch's Kingbird was untimately eliminated by voice, though as soon as I saw the bird I strongly suspected Tropical because of the massive bill, which seemed to me to be at the large extreme for the Couch's-Tropical complex. Cassin's and Western eliminated by plumage characters. Other yellow-bellied kingbirds from South America presumably eliminated by voice, though I have no experience. |
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Photographs
or tape recordings obtained? |
Videotape attached. |
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Previous
experience with this species: |
Extensive in Mexico and Central America. |
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Identification aids: |
at time of
observation: none after observation:
the usual suspects |
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This description is written from: |
memory and reviewing tape and email sent that day |
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Are
you positive of your identification? If not, explain: |
yes |
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Reporter: |
David P. Muth
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Date and time:
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August 10, 2006 |