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Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Tyrannus forficatus ORDER: PASSERIFORMES FAMILY: TYRANNIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

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A striking bird of the central United States, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is nearly unmistakable with its long forked tail and salmon-pink belly. The state bird of Oklahoma, it is commonly found in only a handful of other states.

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At a GlanceHelp

Measurements
Both Sexes
Length
8.7–14.6 in
22–37 cm
Weight
1.3–2 oz
36–56 g
Other Names
  • Tyran à longue queue (French)
  • Tirano-tijereta rosado (Spanish)

Cool Facts

  • The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher forms large premigratory roosts in late summer, with up to 1,000 birds in one flock. They often roost near towns, perhaps taking advantage of the large trees as roosting sites.
  • The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher uses many human products in its nest, such as string, cloth, paper, carpet fuzz, and cigarette filters. One study of nests in an urban area in Texas found that artificial materials accounted for 30% of the weight of nests.
  • Inclement weather can be an important factor in causing nest failure of open country birds. High winds and thunderstorms can destroy large numbers of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher nests in some years, accounting for nearly half of all nest failures.

Habitat


Grassland

  • Breeds in open grasslands with occasional trees and shrubs.
  • Also in towns and agricultural areas.
  • Winters in similar habitat, and the edges of tropical forests.

Food


Insects

Insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles.

Nesting

Nesting Facts
Clutch Size
3–6 eggs
Egg Description
White with dark markings around large end.
Condition at Hatching
Helpless and with only sparse white down.
Nest Description

Nest an open cup of plant stems and string, lined with finer plant materials. Placed in small isolated trees or large shrubs.

Nest Placement

Tree

Behavior


Flycatching

Captures most prey by aerial hawking. Also grabs insects off vegetation.

Conservation

status via IUCN

Least Concern

The breeding range expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, probably as the result of clearing forests and the planting of ornamental trees. Populations overall seem stable, but it is declining in Oklahoma.

Credits

  • Regosin, J. V. 1998. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus). In The Birds of North America, No. 342 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

Range Map Help

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Range Map
View dynamic map of eBird sightings
Read Cornell Lab of Ornithology's blog, Round Robin