The Couch’s Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii) is a species of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is found in open and semi-open habitats in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Its range extends from southern Texas in the United States south through eastern Mexico to Oaxaca.
The Couch’s Kingbird is a medium-sized tyrant flycatcher, measuring around 19-23 cm (7.5-9 inches) in length. It gets its name from the American ornithologist Darius Nash Couch, who collected the first specimen in 1853 near Brownsville, Texas.
Some key facts about the Couch’s Kingbird:
- Scientific name: Tyrannus couchii
- Conservation status: Least Concern
- Mass: 33-55 g (1.1-1.9 oz)
- Wingspan: 32-36 cm (12.5-14 in)
- Length: 19-23 cm (7.5-9 in)
The Couch’s Kingbird can be identified by its grayish-olive upperparts, darker gray head, white throat, pale gray breast, and yellow belly. It has a black mask through the eye, and a black tail with white outer tail feathers. The adult male has a reddish-orange patch on the crown that is absent in the female.
Breeding Range
The core breeding range of the Couch’s Kingbird extends from southern Texas in the United States south through eastern Mexico.
In the United States, breeding occurs in south and southwestern Texas, mainly in the southern half of the state and along the Rio Grande valley. The range extends west to around the Pecos River, and east to the Gulf Coast.
In Mexico, the Couch’s Kingbird breeds widely across the northeastern part of the country. Its range extends south along the Gulf Coast through Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Tabasco. It is also found inland through Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Hidalgo, and Queretaro. The southern limit reaches Puebla and northern Oaxaca.
Elevation
The Couch’s Kingbird occupies a range of elevations within its breeding distribution, generally from sea level up to around 1500 m (5000 ft).
In the United States portion of its range, it is primarily found at lower elevations below 600 m (2000 ft).
In Mexico, it occurs across a wider elevational range, from lowlands along the coast up to 1500 m (5000 ft) in the interior highlands. For example, it breeds up to 1400 m (4600 ft) in the state of Hidalgo.
Non-Breeding Range
During the non-breeding season, the Couch’s Kingbird migrates south into Central America and northwestern South America.
Its winter range extends from southern Mexico through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and western Panama.
It also winters south to northwestern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. Records exist as far south as Ecuador, although it is considered rare or a vagrant that far south.
In Mexico, the Couch’s Kingbird winters mostly along the Pacific slope, as well as the Yucatan Peninsula and adjacent interior lowlands. It is largely absent from the interior Mexican Plateau during winter.
The timing of migration seems to follow a leap-frog pattern, with interior highland breeding birds wintering further south than coastal breeding populations.
Habitat
The Couch’s Kingbird occupies open and semi-open habitats within its range. Typical habitats include:
- Pastures
- Agricultural fields
- Orchards
- Riparian corridors
- Semi-arid scrubland
- Open woodland
- Suburban areas and parks
- Roadside edges
It often perches conspicuously on fences, power lines, telephone poles or trees as a vantage point for hunting insects. Nests are built in trees, bushes, or sometimes utility poles.
In its winter range, the Couch’s Kingbird frequents similar open, semi-open and edge habitats. It is also common in towns, suburbs and agricultural areas during winter.
Food and Feeding
Like other tyrant flycatchers, the Couch’s Kingbird is an insectivore, feeding on insects and other small invertebrates. Common prey items include:
- Bees
- Wasps
- Dragonflies
- Grasshoppers
- Crickets
- Moths
- Butterflies
It catches prey on the wing via aerial hawking and gleaning. Perching on an open vantage point, the kingbird watches for passing insects to sally out and capture. It sometimes hovers briefly while hunting.
On its wintering grounds, the Couch’s Kingbird joins mixed-species feeding flocks that follow swarms of army ants. It catches insects flushed by the marching ants.
It has also been observed feeding on berries and fruit pulp on occasion.
Breeding
The Couch’s Kingbird breeds between April and July across its range. The nesting season peaks in May-June in the United States and May-July in Mexico.
Clutch size | 2-6 eggs |
Incubation period | 15-17 days |
Nestling period | 17-21 days |
Broods per season | 1-2 broods |
Egg color | White with brown speckles |
The nest is a cup of twigs, grass, and rootlets, lined with softer material. It is constructed 1-20 m (3-65 ft) above ground in a tree or shrub. Both sexes participate in nest building.
The female lays 2-6 eggs (usually 3-4). She incubates the eggs while being fed by the male. After hatching, both parents feed the young a diet of insects.
The Couch’s Kingbird is sometimes victim to brood parasitism by the Bronzed Cowbird in parts of its range.
Migration
The Couch’s Kingbird migrates relatively long distances between its breeding grounds in the southwestern US and Mexico and wintering range in Central America.
Fall migration occurs between August and October. Peak activity is late August to mid-September.
Spring migration back north takes place between March and May. Most activity is from mid-April to mid-May.
Migrating and wintering birds often form loose flocks. They make regular stopovers during migration to feed and rest.
Conservation Status
The Couch’s Kingbird has a large breeding range estimated at 580,000 square kilometers (220,000 square miles). Within that range, its population is estimated at 1.5-15 million individuals.
The population is believed to be stable, based on observations of wintering birds. No major threats to the species have been identified.
Due to its large, stable population, the Couch’s Kingbird is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is a common to abundant species throughout most of its range.
Potential Threats
There are no significant threats currently impacting Couch’s Kingbird populations. Potential threats could include:
- Habitat loss from development or agriculture
- Pesticide use reducing insect prey populations
- Climate change affecting breeding and migration patterns
- Extreme weather events
Further monitoring of populations is needed to detect any future declines that could warrant higher threat status. For now, conservation actions are not urgently needed for this widespread species. Protection of remaining natural habitats will benefit the Couch’s Kingbird.
Taxonomy
The Couch’s Kingbird is classified in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. This large family contains over 400 species found throughout the Americas.
It is placed in the genus Tyrannus along with 8 other closely related kingbird species, including:
- Tropical Kingbird
- Cassin’s Kingbird
- Western Kingbird
- Eastern Kingbird
- Gray Kingbird
- Loggerhead Kingbird
- Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
- Fork-tailed Flycatcher
These kingbirds are medium to large Tyrannids with crests, elongated wings, and long, notched tails. They are aerial insectivores found in open habitats.
The Couch’s Kingbird was first described in 1854 by American naturalist George Newbold Lawrence, based on a type specimen collected by Darius Couch in Brownsville, Texas in 1853. He named it Tyrannus couchii in honor of Couch.
No subspecies are recognized. Its closest relative is the Tropical Kingbird (T. melancholicus) of the West Indies.
Conclusion
In summary, the Couch’s Kingbird is a common tyrant flycatcher of the southwestern United States and Mexico, extending its breeding range as far south as Oaxaca. It migrates over 1500 km each way to winter in Central America, south to Panama and northwestern South America.
This aerial insectivore inhabits open agricultural areas, scrublands, parks andsemi-urban environments. With a large, stable population, it is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. No major conservation issues are impacting this adaptable species.