Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Bird

Facts about Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird. The Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird is an elongated-tailed bird that belongs to the Tyrannus genus of the Tyrannidae family. The birds of this family are collectively mentioned as Kingbirds. "Scientific name of the Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird is Tyrannus forficatus". The Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird is also commonly called the swallow-tailed flycatcher or the Texas bird-of-paradise. The Scissor-tailed flycatcher birds are largely found in Central America and North America. The Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird attained its name for the reason that some of its species are very aggressive on their breeding regions, where they will assault bigger birds such as hawks, crows, and owls. The Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird is the official state bird of the Oklahoma State, and it is exhibited in the flight with its tail feathers widen on the back of the coin of the Oklahoma Commemorative Quarter.

Features of Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird

At adulthood, the male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher bird may have a maximum body length of 15 inches (38 cm) up to their tail, whereas the females have a maximum body length 30% shorter than that of the male ones. The wingspan of the Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird is 6 inches (15 cm) and it has a maximum body weight of 1.5 oz (43 grams). Young birds have a dull color body and they will have smaller tails. Many of these adult birds have been reported to be in excess of 16 in (40 cm).

An adult Scissor-tailed Flycatcher bird has a pale gray color head and upper parts, salmon-pink color flanks, light under parts, an undertail covert, and dark gray color wings. They have a red color axillar and a patch on their underwing covert. The Scissor-tailed flycatcher birds have an extremely lengthy, forked tail, which are black in color on the top and white in color on the underside, are feature and unique.

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher birds construct a nest similar to the shape of a cup in remote shrubs or trees, occasionally using artificial places, like telephone poles close to towns. The male Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird performs a stunning aerial show at the time of courtship with his elongated tail forks, streaming out at their back. Both male and female birds will feed their young ones. Similar to other Kingbirds, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher birds are extremely aggressive in protecting their nest. The female Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird offers clutches that hold three to six eggs.

Diet of Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird

The Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird mostly feeds on insects, such as grasshoppers, dragonflies and robber-flies during the summer season. They may grab these insects by waiting on a branch and afterward flying out to grab them during flight. For extra food during the winter season, the Scissor-tailed flycatcher birds will feed on some berries, as well.

Breeding of Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird

The breeding habitat of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher bird is open bushy country with sprinkled trees in the south-central states of the United States, such as Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma, in the western parts of Louisiana, Missouri and Arkansas, far eastern parts of New Mexico and in the northeastern parts of Mexico. Reported findings record rare stray visitors as extreme north as the southern parts of Canada and as far as the eastern parts of Georgia and Florida. The Scissor-tailed flycatcher bird migrate through the eastern Mexico and Texas to their winter non-breeding collection, from the southern parts of Mexico to Panama. Pre-nomadic roosts and groups, flying south may include as several as 1000 birds.

The average lifespan of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher bird ranges from 10 years to 15 years.