Eastern Kingbird

May 3, 2016

From Great River and Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuges:

Eastern kingbirds spend winters in South American forests, where they eat mainly fruit. Their diets change when they arrive in the U.S. where they spend the summer foraging on flying insects. 

It’s not called a kingbird for nothing! The Eastern kingbird has a crown of yellow, orange, or red feathers on its head, but the crown is usually concealed. When it encounters a potential predator the kingbird may simultaneously raise its bright crown patch, stretch its beak wide open to reveal a red gape, and dive-bomb the intruder. (Allaboutbirds.org)

Photo: Eastern kingbird by USFWS.


#Bird