Eastern Kingbird - Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Deaver D. Armstrong

Otsego Co., MI 7/4/2009 © Darlene Friedman (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II)

This

aggressive flycatcher’s scientific name says it all: a tyrant of tyrants. Eastern Kingbirds defend their territory fiercely against other Eastern Kingbirds and, should a crow or hawk simply fly overhead, the bird will seek it out and perhaps try to pluck feathers from its back to let the “intruder” know it is not welcome (Murphy 1996). Yet this species is completely accepting of a nearby nest of an American Robin, Redeyed Vireo or other songbird (Bent 1942). Perhaps the “eastern” part of its common name is not appropriate, as it nests as far west as British Columbia. Though it is not found along the west coast of the U.S. or in most of California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico, the Eastern Kingbird’s breeding range is still more widely distributed than any other flycatcher in North America. It breeds as far north as the Northwest Territories and throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada (Murphy 1996). This bird is a fairly common breeder throughout all of Michigan and an uncommon migrant (Chartier and Ziarno 2004). Eastern Kingbirds spend the winter months in northern South America (Murphy 1996). Distribution Barrows (1912) described the Eastern Kingbird simply as “common throughout the state in

summer.” Wood (1951) noted that he did not find the species very numerous near Whitefish Point in 1914, but that by 1936 individuals were reporting the Eastern Kingbird as common everywhere in the UP except the Huron Mountains. Neither Wood (1951) nor Zimmerman and Van Tyne (1959) had evidence of the species nesting on Isle Royale. Payne (1983) continued to report Eastern Kingbird as a “common transient and summer resident.” Both MBBA I and MBBA II show evidence of Eastern Kingbirds breeding on Isle Royale. There appear to be no obvious changes in distribution between MBBA I and MBBA II. The open, old field and savannah-like habitats that this species prefers appear plentiful enough for it to maintain breeding territories in every county in Michigan and approximately 80% of all townships. Breeding Biology Eastern Kingbirds often return to the same location year after year. If both the male and female in the pair return from South America to breed again, they will usually breed with each other again (Murphy 1996). Some returning birds have even nested in the same tree as in a previous breeding season (Bent 1942). Nests are typically placed in trees, often in open areas,

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Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) on horizontal branches in fairly exposed locations. The nest itself is a fairly large open cup composed of small twigs, roots, plant fibers, and sometimes strips of bark (Murphy 1996). Clutch size ranges from two to five eggs (Murphy 1996) with three being the most frequent number (Brewer 1991). Eggs are incubated for about 14-17 days and young fledge at about 16-17 days of age (Murphy 1996).

Deaver D. Armstrong Conservation Needs There are no specific management plans for the Eastern Kingbird, a species most likely to be found around hedgerows, old fields, or pastures. These habitats are certainly all in decline in Michigan today. In spite of its wide distribution in our state, the Eastern Kingbird is a species whose numbers bear watching over the next decade. Literature Cited

Abundance and Population Trends (Click to view trends from the BBS) The Partners in Flight database shows an estimated 260,000 Eastern Kingbirds in Michigan, approximately 2% of the global population of the species (PIF 2007). This makes it the third most common flycatcher in the state, after Great Crested Flycatcher and Eastern Phoebe. In Michigan, the NLP and the tip of the thumb have the highest density of Eastern Kingbirds (Sauer et al. 2008). When compared to the first atlas, both the UP and LP have seen a decline in the number of townships reporting Eastern Kingbirds, with the greatest decline occurring in the UP. This follows the Michigan BBS trends between the two atlases that show significant population declines of more than 4.5% per year (Sauer et al. 2008). Brewer (1991) stated that Eastern Kingbird numbers had not changed in the 20 years prior to MBBA I, and it is true that Eastern Kingbird populations continue to be widespread in Michigan and all the states and provinces that abut Michigan (Peterjohn and Rice 1991, Weeks 1998, Kleen et al. 2004, Lesher 2006, Cadman et al. 2007). However, all of these states show declines in the BBS population trends from 1966 to 2007 with only Ohio and Illinois not being statistically significant (Sauer et al. 2008). This species’ decline is almost certainly a result of habitat loss, including the natural loss of open, shrubby areas due to increased growth of woody and invasive vegetation.

Barrows, W.B. 1912. Michigan Bird Life. Special Bulletin. Michigan Agricultural College. Lansing, Michigan, USA. Bent, A.C. 1942. Life Histories of North American Flycatchers, Larks, Swallows and Their Allies. U. S. National Museum Bulletin 179. Brewer, R. 1991. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus). Pages 296-297 in R. Brewer, G.A. McPeek, and R.J. Adams, Jr. 1991. The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press. East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage, and A.R. Couturier, editors. 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, Canada. Chartier, A.T., and J. Ziarno. 2004. A Birder’s Guide to Michigan. American Birding Association. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. Kleen, V.M., L. Cordle, and R.A. Montgomery. 2004. The Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas. Special Publication 26. Illinois Natural History Survey. Champaign, Illinois, USA. Lesher, F. 2006. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus). Pages 282-283 in N.J. Cutright, B.R. Harriman, and R.W. Howe, editors. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin.


Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA. Murphy, M.T. 1996. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus). Account 253 in A. Poole and F. Gill, editors. The Birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Partners in Flight [PIF]. 2007. PIF Landbird Population Estimates Database. Version 2004. Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. . Accessed 30 March 2009. Payne, R.B. 1983. A Distributional Checklist of the Birds of Michigan. Miscellaneous Publication 164. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Peterjohn, B.G., and D.L. Rice. 1991. The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Columbus, Ohio, USA. 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, Maryland, USA. Weeks Jr., H. P. 1998. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus). Pages 176-177 in J.S. Castrale, E.M. Hopkins, and C.E. Keller. Atlas of Breeding Birds of Indiana. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program. Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Wood, N.A. 1951. The Birds of Michigan. Miscellaneous Publication 75. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Zimmerman, D.A, and J. Van Tyne. 1959. A Distributional Checklist of the Birds of Michigan. Occasional Paper 608. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Deaver D. Armstrong Suggested Citation Armstrong, D. D. 2011. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus). In A.T. Chartier, J.J. Baldy, and J.M. Brenneman, editors. The Second Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. Kalamazoo Nature Center. Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. Accessed online at: .
