Western KingBirds in Texas

Tyrannus verticalis

Truly a bird of the Western US, the Western Kingbird can be found in the summer in nearly every state west of the Mississippi River. In former times, this bird was called the “Arkansas Kingbird.” In winter these birds head south to the Pacific slopes of southern Mexico and Central America.

During my Texas Exodus early this past May, I met Western Kingbirds at two rest stops along the road. The first was north of Loredo near Botines Texas where I found birds building a nest using all manner of refuse including discarded cigarette filters. My second encounter was another rest area along the I-10 east of Fort Stockton, which turned out to be my last birding stop in Texas as I headed to Roswell New Mexico.

I’ve had meetings with Western Kingbirds in Oregon, Idaho, California, Utah, Arizona and Texas. The gallery on display here shows only the Texas birds. For a visit with these other birds, visit the <Species Gallery>.