Eastern kingbirds are common summer residents throughout the central and eastern U.S. and most of southern Canada. Come September, they begin a long migration to South America.
Favoring open grasslands with nearby trees, these birds are often observed on prairie or farms, along broad greenbelts, in grassy areas near wetlands and at parks and nature preserves that harbor fields and meadows. Like other kingbirds and flycatchers, they feed primarily on insects and often hunt from a conspicuous perch; berries are also consumed. I was thus surprised to observe an eastern kingbird in our modest-sized suburban yard last evening, the first I have seen here in 23 years of owning the property.
But such is the nature of birding. Our quarry does not always meet exceptions; one day they are absent from areas where we "know" they will be and the next they turn up where we have never seen them before (and don't expect to see them again).
Favoring open grasslands with nearby trees, these birds are often observed on prairie or farms, along broad greenbelts, in grassy areas near wetlands and at parks and nature preserves that harbor fields and meadows. Like other kingbirds and flycatchers, they feed primarily on insects and often hunt from a conspicuous perch; berries are also consumed. I was thus surprised to observe an eastern kingbird in our modest-sized suburban yard last evening, the first I have seen here in 23 years of owning the property.
But such is the nature of birding. Our quarry does not always meet exceptions; one day they are absent from areas where we "know" they will be and the next they turn up where we have never seen them before (and don't expect to see them again).
