Continuing with the theme that has developed from recent photos, the dinner menu today moves from prey found in the water (the Great Egret) to dinner on the wing. The Eastern Kingbird is one of the most common kingbird across the United States with a range that extends from the Atlantic Coast to the eastern borders of Oregon and Washington. It usually arrives in Oklahoma during early May and is quite common along fences and open areas. My favorite spots for finding Eastern Kingbirds are along fences by golf courses and in wildflowers along the shore of a lake.
Kingbirds are very skilled flycatchers. In Oklahoma, they have the disadvantage of being overshadowed by our state bird, the spectacular Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. But these striking black and white birds hold their own when it comes to aerial maneuvers that result in a tasty bug dinner. This Eastern Kingbird had dinner delivered — it is a fledgling whose only effort was sitting on the cable and waiting for its parent to drop off this translucent-winged bug (I am assuming it was a dragonfly but am not certain). It looked like more than the bird could handle but the young one devoured its dinner in about three gulps.
It’s Michael from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Never saw an eastern Kingbird in Ontario until about the seventies, but what a bird. I see them quite often now. Their Latin name is ‘Tyrannus tyrannus.’ which basically means ‘Terrible, terrible.’ Boy, have you ever seen them take on hawks, crows, bluejays and any other preditory-type bird? They are a real match for most bird who would like to have a kingbird as a meal, or their young. I love watching these birds in action.