Tyrannus couchii was originally considered a subspecies of T. melancholicus. The species were separated by Traylor in 1979 when morphological studies separated the various populations into two discrete groups: one that had short bills with long 5th primaries (T. couchii), and one with longer bills and shorter 5th primaries (T. melancholicus). The two species are also allopatric and use different songs for attracting mates.
Development of vocalizations is most likely innate and not learned. Calls of fledglings are recognizable as Couch’s kingbirds. The song is nasal, with slow phrasing and spacing and pauses between notes. It has been described as a breezy "breeer." Other calls are a longer "burry" phrase, or single "dik" or "kip" notes. Calls are given year-round, though birds are more likely to be silent during winter.
During greetings between mates or interactions with other kingbirds, the reddish-orange spot on the head is often raised.
Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic
Perception Channels: visual ; ultraviolet; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical ; magnetic
Couch's kingbird populations are considered stable currently.
US Migratory Bird Act: protected
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no known negative effects of this species on humans.
Couch's kingbirds are sought after by birders and other eco-tourists. They may provide some benefits as consumers of insect pests on commercial crops.
Positive Impacts: ecotourism ; controls pest population
There is no reference in the literature to parasites of Couch’s kingbirds, although several are noted in tropical kingbirds (T. melancholicus). They are often found in mixed species flocks of other medium-sized passerines and other frugivorous species during winter in south Texas and Tamaulipas. Altamira orioles (Icterus gularis) are known to nest in the same trees as Couch’s kingbirds and may benefit from the aggressive behavior of kingbirds towards intruding bronzed cowbirds (Molothrus aeneus, which are brood parasites) and great-tailed grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus, which are nest predators). Bronzed cowbirds are known brood parasites of Couch’s kingbirds. Adult kingbirds have been observed feeding bronzed cowbird fledglings, suggesting that kingbirds do raise cowbird hatchlings. However, Couch’s kingbirds will chase bronzed cowbirds from nesting sites and will eject cowbird eggs laid in a nest. Couch's kingbirds undoubtedly facilitate passive seed dispersal from consumption of fruits.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
Foraging and food item selection is poorly understood in Couch's kingbirds. The diet probably consists primarily of flying insects; Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, and Diptera have been documented. Some fruits and berries are also eaten, especially in fall and winter. Probably other non-insect arthropods are also consumed to some extent. Unidentified Couch's or tropical kingbirds in Texas have been observed taking small lizards as prey items (Haas pers. obs.).
Foraging habitats include treetops, forest clearings, and openings in or close to woodlands. Couch's kingbirds take fruit from trees and vines, but generally avoid dense foliage. Insect prey is captured almost entirely by hawking, in which kingbirds fly from perches to capture flying insects. Flight distances are usually 3 to 15 m, occasionally 25 to 30 m. Individuals usually return to the original perch after flight. They occasionally hover-glean and perch-glean for both insects and fruit, and they have been recorded swooping down on prey items located on the ground.
Animal Foods: insects
Plant Foods: fruit
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )
Couch’s kingbirds range from the mid-Texas coast and Tamaulipas south along eastern Mexico into the entire Yucatan Peninsula including Belize and northern Guatemala. There is some winter withdrawal from the northern part of the range, in Texas and Tamaulipas.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )
Couch’s kingbirds are found in scrubby woodland, forests and forest edges, plantations, savannas, hedges, and fencerows. In Yucatan they are common in scrubby interior forest and uncommon in arid beach scrub.
Range elevation: 1000 (high) m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; chaparral ; forest ; scrub forest
Other Habitat Features: suburban ; agricultural ; riparian
No information about longevity is available from the literature. However, other Tyrannus species have been reported living over 11 years in the wild.
Couch’s kingbirds are medium-sized flycatchers. Plumage features include a gray head that is paler on the chin and throat and dark lores and auriculars, which form a slightly contrasting mask that is widest behind the eye. A reddish-orange patch on top of the head is frequently concealed unless raised. The breast is dull yellow with some dusky olive plumage. The belly is bright lemon yellow, becoming more faded on the undertail coverts. The back and scapulars are olive-brown and the wings are brownish. The tail is dark brown with a slight notch. The eye, bill, legs, and feet are black. The bill is large and flattened, proportionally large for the head. Sexes are similar in plumage but can discerned in hand by the presence of a cloacal protuberance in males (poorly developed), or a brood patch in females from March to August. Juveniles are similar to adults, but their coloration tends to be more drab and they have buffy edges to the wing and upper tail coverts.
Couch’s kingbirds are similar to tropical kingbirds (Tyrannus melancholicus); they are nearly indistinguishable in the field. There are subtle differences in a few plumage and structural features that can be observed in the hand or with specimens. Some plumage differences include a slightly more greenish cast on the back in T. couchii compared to T. melancholicus, which is more grey-brown. Tropical kingbirds also have slightly more greenish tones to the breast. Two notable physical differences are bill size and primary length. Couch's kingbirds have shorter, wider, and deeper bills than tropical kingbirds. Couch's kingbirds also have a shallow notch in the tail, as compared to tropical kingbirds. While these features can be suggestive in the field, they are not dependable field marks.
Average mass: 43 g.
Average length: 23.5 cm.
Average wingspan: 39.4 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike; male larger
No predators are reported in the literature. Birds of prey are major predators of other Tyrannus species. Fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) may be nest predators in southern Texas.
Little is known about the breeding behavior of Couch's kingbirds. Pair formation may be similar to their close relatives, tropical kingbirds (T. melancholicus). In tropical kingbirds pair bonding includes a nest site display. Pairs greet each other at or near nest by both giving a series of calls along with a wing-fluttering display. This display is initiated by the bird near the nest and the display is repeated by the incoming partner. The greeting display is typically only observed during breeding season, but has been documented occasionally in winter. The length of pair bonds is unknown.
In tropical kingbirds (T. melancholicus), apparent copulation was observed in a tree, 6 to 7 m above ground. The male perched on or hovered just above the back of the female for 3 to 5 seconds, before flying off to perch in nearby tree. No extra-pair copulations have been documented.
Mating System: monogamous
Little is known about the breeding behavior of Couch's kingbirds. Breeding timing varies from April to July in southern parts of range and May to August in Texas. Only one brood per season has been documented, with a clutch of 2 to 4 eggs, occasionally 5. Nests found late in the season are probably replacement nests from earlier failures. The length of incubation is not known. Eggs are subelliptical to long elliptical and cream-colored or buffy with dark brown or lilac spotting over most of the egg surface. Eggs are 24 x 19 mm in size. Nests are described as untidy bowls composed of twigs, weeds, strips of bark, and leaves, they are lined with rootlets, plant down, and sometimes Spanish moss. Nest sites are usually on a horizontal limb of a tree 8 to 25 feet above ground.
Breeding interval: Couch's kingbirds have one brood a year. Second clutches have not been documented, although birds may nest again if an earlier attempt fails.
Breeding season: Breeding occurs from April to August. Nests with eggs have been observed from May 5 to June 2 in Texas and April 6 to July 28 in Mexico.
Range eggs per season: 2 to 5.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
Little is known about the parental investment of Couch's kingbirds, but the pattern is likely to be similar to that of their close relative, tropical kingbirds (T. melancholicus). In tropical kingbirds, females incubate eggs for up to 2 weeks. Both parents feed and shade nestlings from the midday sun. Fledglings remain together near their nest, often on conspicuous perches on wires or trees. The young are fed by both parents for at least 2 weeks. Fledgling success rate in Texas was measured at 1 to 3 birds per nest.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female)
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.
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.
Couch's kingbird can easily be confused with the related tropical kingbird (T. melancholicus), which is extremely similar. In fact, Couch's kingbird was considered conspecific with 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 (T. 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]
Couch’s kingbird is native to southern 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. Couch’s kingbird likes to live near water, especially rivers, and can often be found near roadsides and forest edges.[6][7] A vagrant individual was sighted in New York City in December 2014 and caught the attention of many birdwatchers.[2]
Couch’s kingbird is mostly an insectivore; however, it 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. Like most kingbirds, 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]
The nesting behavior is not precisely known; however, it is believed to be similar to 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]
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]
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.
The species is named after soldier and naturalist Darius N. Couch.
