365 Urban Species. #111: Gray Kingbird

[urbpan]

Photo by cottonmanifesto
Urban species #111: Gray kingbird

In Boston you are likely to see a pair of eastern phoebes or eastern kingbirds on any given river or pond. In Antigua we saw gray kingbirds almost everywhere we looked. Most likely this reflected the great density of insect prey available to them. Like other tyrant flycatchers (that's the common name of the bird family Tyrannidae) gray kingbirds perch on a high conspicuous lookout, and make quick flights out to catch insects in the air. Gray kingbirds catch insects from high perches over pastureland, hotel grounds, and the city.