Forest and Rangeland Birds of the United States

Natural History and Habitat Use

Thick-billed Kingbird -- Tyrannus crassirostris


RANGE: Breeds from the Patagonia and Guadalupe mountains in southeastern Arizona, and Guadalupe Canyon in extreme southwestern New Mexico south to Mexico. Winters in Mexico.

STATUS: Rare; first discovered in the United States in 1958, the range of this Mexican species has expanded northward since the middle of the 20th century.

HABITAT: Occurs near sycamore trees in streamside habitats dominated by cottonwood, willow, and mesquite.

NEST: In the United States, nests in streamside sycamores 50 to 60 feet above the ground.

FOOD: Presumably eats insects; commonly flies great distances between perches.

REFERENCES: Levy 1959, Oberholser 1974a, Phillips et al. 1964, Terres 1980, Terrill in Farrand 1983b.


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