One of the most distinctive birds in North America, the scissor-tailed flycatcher is a summer resident of the Great Plains, from Nebraska to Texas. Favoring open country with scattered trees, it is usually seen alone or in pairs, perched on a power line or wire fence. Its long, deeply forked tail, comprising more than half its total length, often attracts the attention of even the least observant traveller.
The spring courtship of scissor-tails involves a graceful, aerial ballet, after which a bulky nest of sticks is placed in an isolated tree. As with most flycatchers, insects, caught on the wing, are their only food and they must depart for balmy climes before the autumn chill. Most scissor-tails winter in Central America, though some head for South Florida and small numbers may turn up along the western Gulf Coast.
The range of this attractive bird, like that of many other species, has been expanding in recent years as they are forced to adapt to a variety of grassland habitats. Their aggressive nature, similar to the behavior of kingbirds, has likely played a key role in this expansion.
