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Loggerhead Kingbird | Tyrannus caudifasciatus
Dikkopkoningstiran | Pitirre guatíbere
The Loggerhead Kingbird is the forest kingbird of the northern Antilles. Where Grey Kingbird occupies open country and roadside wires, this species more often hunts inside or at the edge of woodland. Seven subspecies are recognised across the islands. Based on differences in plumage, size and voice, it has been proposed to treat the birds of Puerto Rico (taylori) and Hispaniola (gabbii) as separate species.
Voice
Loud rattling and chattering calls, such as bzze-e-e-e, often in series; during courtship and chases the birds call almost continuously, also in duet. Calls differ between islands.
Recording: GABRIEL LEITE — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · converted to mono · xeno-canto
Identification
24–26 cm, with a large head and a heavy bill. The cap is blackish, with an orange or yellow crown patch that is rarely visible. Back and wings olive- to grey-brown, the wing coverts edged pale. Underparts white to dingy white, the breast sometimes greyish or the belly washed yellowish. The tail is dark and almost square-ended, in most populations with a pale, grey to whitish terminal band; the width and colour of this band vary between islands. The sexes are alike.
Confusion species
Grey Kingbird Tyrannus dominicensis is paler grey above, has a black eye mask against a grey crown rather than a dark cap, a notched tail without a terminal band, and favours open country. Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus is smaller and blackish above, with a shorter bill and a bright white tail tip. Giant Kingbird Tyrannus cubensis in Cuba is larger, with white cheeks and a much heavier bill.
Habitat
Dry and moist broadleaf forest, pine forest, limestone forest, shade-coffee plantations, mangroves and park-like country with large trees, from the coast into the lower mountains. It hunts from a sheltered perch under or at the edge of the canopy, taking insects both in the air and from leaves and branches; small lizards and fruit are also eaten.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation types of the Caribbean.
Range and movements
Resident in the Bahamas (mainly the northern islands, such as Grand Bahama, Abaco, Andros and New Providence), Cuba with the Isla de la Juventud and the cays, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and Puerto Rico with Vieques. Absent from the Lesser Antilles. Outside the region a very rare vagrant to southern Florida.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
Often found along forest trails and in coffee plantations, perched upright on a branch beneath the canopy. Common in most wooded areas of Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. With a good view of the tail, the pale terminal band is the quickest distinction from Grey Kingbird.
Conservation status
Not threatened. The species is common on most islands. Deforestation can cause local declines, but it also occurs in plantations and other partly open habitats.
Scientific name
Tyrannus caudifasciatus | d'Orbigny, ACVMD, 1839
D'Orbigny, ACVMD described the species in 1839 and placed it straight away in the genus where it still stands. The genus Tyrannus was introduced in 1799 by De Lacépède. Tyrannus is Latin (from Greek turannos) for 'tyrant, despot', after the aggressive way these birds drive off even raptors. caudifasciatus is Latin, from cauda 'tail' and fasciatus 'banded', after the pale band at the tail tip. The specimen the first description was based on came from Cuba.