Western Kingbird

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A long-time reader, Jerry, sent some images for me to feature as the "image of the day". This is the first image in a series of five.

Western kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis.

Image: Jerry Kram. [larger size].

The photographer, Jerry Kram, writes:

I love these birds because when I was growing up a flock of grackles started nesting in the shelterbelt around the house and chased away many of the robins and other perching birds. That limited my window birding opportunities until a pair of highly aggressive kingbirds nested there. The kingbirds didn't bother any birds that didn't bother them, but the aggressive grackles were, um, "encouraged" to find greener pastures and the other local birds soon returned. I just had to make sure I didn't loiter near the kingbird's nest for too long on pain of divebombing.

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I love these birds, too, especially the sound they make. Where I live in Texas, I see them mostly on Post Oak trees (Quercus stellata) for some reason.