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Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Subsectio: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Cladus: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Infraclassis: Aves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Tyranni
Infraordo: Tyrannides
Parvordo: Tyrannida
Familia: Tyrannidae
Subfamilia: Tyranninae
Genus: Tyrannus
Species: Tyrannus couchii
Name
Tyrannus couchii Baird, 1858
References
Baird, S.F. 1858. Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Vol. 9: i–lvi, 1–1005. Washington. DOI: 10.5962/bhl.title.11139 BHL. Part II, with the cooperation of Cassin, J. & Lawrence, G.N. Birds. BHL Reference page. First availability p. 170 BHL Original description p. 175 BHL
Vernacular names
English: Couch's kingbird
español: Tirano silbador
Couch's kingbird (Tyrannus couchii) is a passerine tyrant flycatcher of the kingbird genus. It is found from southern Texas along the Gulf Coast to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, Belize and northern Guatemala. It is also found in the lower stretches of the Rio Grande Valley.[2]
The species is named after soldier and naturalist Darius N. Couch.
Description
Santa Ana State Park, Texas
Couch's kingbird is about 7 inches long. It has a large head and bill. It has a dark, forked tail. The head is pale gray with contrasting darker cheeks. The upperparts are grayish-olive. It has a pale throat and a darker breast. The lower breast is bright yellow. Juveniles have browner underparts than the adult and pale edges to their wings.
Similar species
Couch's kingbird can easily be confused with the tropical kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus), which is extremely similar. In fact, Couch's kingbird actually used to be the same species as the tropical kingbird until 1979. The easiest way to distinguish between the two species is to listen for their call: Couch's kingbird has a raspier, more complex call that is more varied in pitch. In addition, Couch's kingbird lives in a more wooded environment than the tropical kingbird, which lives in a more open environment.[3] Cassin's kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans)
can also be mistaken for Couch's kingbird. Cassin’s kingbird has a darker head color and white tips on its outer tail feathers. Couch's kingbird can be distinguished from the western kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) by their white outer tail feathers (like Cassin’s kingbird) and their chest color. Western kingbirds have a grey area on the chest that extends downward from the head, which Couch's kingbirds do not have.[4][5]
Distribution and habitat
Couch’s Kingbird is native to South Texas, eastern Mexico, Belize, and northeastern Guatemala, living in lightly wooded areas, such as sparse forests, suburban areas, thorn forests, and edges of wooded streams. The Couch’s Kingbird likes to live near water, especially rivers, and can often be found near roadsides and forest edges.[6][7]
Behavior
Diet and feeding
Couch’s Kingbird is mostly an insectivore; however, can also be a frugivore, eating small berries and seeds. They typically eat larger insects such as, but not limited to, beetles, grasshoppers, wasps, and large flies.[7] Besides this, their diet is mostly unknown due to the lesser volume of birders noting this bird’s behaviors. The feeding behavior of Couch’s Kingbird entails mostly perching and watching its environment for insect movement. It catches its prey mid-air, hovering above, or by quickly swooping down. Eventually, Couch’s kingbird re-perches on a branch to eat the insects.[7]
Reproduction
The nesting behavior is not precisely known; however, it is believed to be similar to its familial counterpart, the Tropical Kingbird. Couch’s Kingbird likes to nest in lightly wooded areas, and they frequently nest in sugar hackberry, cedar elm, Texas ebony, and Mexican ash trees.[3] It is believed that the flat, cup-like nest is most likely built by the female. It usually consists of twigs, leaves, weeds, moss, and bark and is lined with soft, finer materials such as rootlets, plant down, and Spanish moss. It lays horizontally on higher altitude branches ranging 8-25 feet above the ground, aggressively guarded by adults chasing away larger birds from the nest site. The incubation period is not known but is estimated to be by the female for a little over two weeks. The female can lay up to five eggs, but there are normally three to four eggs per nest. The eggs look to be a pinkish-warm buff color splotched with darker browns and lavender. It is believed both parents feed the young, but not much is known. The young’s age at first flight is around 2-3 weeks old.[7]
Threats
The conservation status of Couch’s Kingbird is of the least concern since the population seems to be increasing. In Texas, the population is stable, however, its population in Mexico fluctuates due to urbanization and total deforestation.[7]
References
BirdLife International (2016). "Tyrannus couchii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22700488A93779423. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22700488A93779423.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
A vagrant caused bird-watchers' excitement in New York City in December 2014 (New York post "Couch's kingbird spotted for first time in New York", 29 December 2014: accessed 29 December 2014).
"COUCH'S KINGBIRD | The Texas Breeding Bird Atlas". txtbba.tamu.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
"Couch's Kingbird Similar Species to, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
"Tropical, Couch's, and Western comparisons". www.birds.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
"Couch's Kingbird Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
"Couch's Kingbird". Audubon. 2014-11-13. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
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