Western Kingbird (Tyrannus Verticalis) Jack Reinoehl

Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) Jack Reinoehl

In Michigan, MBBA I had three records, two in the central LP and one in the western UP. Two of these records were classified as possible breeding and one was a confirmed hybrid nesting of Western Kingbird with an Eastern Kingbird. The location of this nesting was southern Isabella County. This Western Kingbird, determined to be a female, was discovered in 1988 and returned to the same location in 1989 and 1990. The only other Michigan nestings were in Barry County in 1937 and Kalamazoo County in the early 1960s Otsego Co., MI 7/4/2009 © Darlene Friedman (McPeek 1994). The Western Kingbird, a confirmed breeder in Michigan, was not detected as even a possible The hybrid breeding pair in Isabella County was breeder in MBBA II. The primary status of this discovered on 8 July and the young were forced species in Michigan is as a wanderer during to leave the nest prematurely on 14 July. This is migration. Breeding occurs from southern consistent with egg dates in early June. This Canada south to northern Mexico; the eastern species often nests on manmade structures edge of the normal breeding range runs from (Gamble and Bergin 1996), as in the Isabella western Minnesota south to eastern Texas. The County nesting. Western Kingbird winters primarily in Central America; the small population wintering along In Breeding Bird Survey data, the Western the Gulf Coast and in Florida is a possible Kingbird population continent-wide has shown explanation for the individuals appearing in a significant increase of 0.6% per year between Michigan during migration periods (Gamble and 1966 and 2007 (Sauer et al. 2008). However the Bergin 1996). Greatest population densities, small population closest to Michigan, in eastern according to Breeding Bird Survey data are Iowa and adjoining Wisconsin and Minnesota, found in the western edge of the Great Plains shows a decline in BBS trend maps. This is and in the central valley of California. The perhaps not too surprising since this population preferred habitat of the species is dry grasslands had spread from the west only a century before with scattered trees. (Roberts 1932).

Even in states immediately to our west, the In Michigan seasonal survey data, the number of Western Kingbird is very scarce. During the individuals seen in the spring has averaged just Indiana Breeding Bird Atlas, a successful nest over one per year for the last two decades, with was found in 1993 (Castrale et al. 1998). no trend suggesting any change in this rate. The Wisconsin’s Breeding Bird Atlas had only five status of this species in Michigan is thus likely records for this species, and a single nest was to remain as a scarce vagrant with the very discovered (Harriman 2006). Extreme sporadic recent nesting attempts perhaps coming southwestern Ontario is rather close to the to an end. This species, increasing overall, is normal breeding range of this species in not on any watch list. southern Manitoba. One or two pairs of the of Western Kingbird nest in this region annually (Carpentier 2007).

Literature Cited

Carpentier, G. 2007. Western Kingbird. In Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage, and A.R. Couturier (eds.). 2007. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature. Toronto, Ontario. Gamble, L.R., and T.M. Bergin. 1996. Western Kingbird (Tyrranus verticalis). In The Birds of North America, No. 227 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Harriman, B.R. 2006. Western Kingbird. In Cutright, N.J., B.R. Harriman, and R.W. Howe. 2006. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. Waukesha, WI. McPeek, G.A. 1994 In Brewer, R., G.A. McPeek, and R.J. Adams Jr. 1991. The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press. East Lansing, MI. Roberts, T.S. 1932. The Birds of Minnesota (2 volumes). University of Minnesota Press. Minneapolis, MN. Sauer, J.R., J.E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2008. The North American breeding bird survey, results and analysis 1966-2007. Version 5.15.2008. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Laurel, MD.

Suggested Citation

Reinoehl, J. 2011. Western Kingbird (Tyrannus vertacalis). In Chartier, A.T., J.J. Baldy, and J.M. Brenneman (eds.). 2011. The Second Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. Kalamazoo Nature Center. Kalamazoo, MI. Accessed online at: .