Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Tyrannidae
The bird that will attack a Red-tailed Hawk. Eastern Kingbirds are aerial insect hunters with an outsized attitude — they'll chase crows, jays, and larger raptors out of their territory in mid-air, sometimes riding on the raptor's back. Sharp black-and-white plumage with a hidden red crown patch. Undergoes one of the most dramatic diet shifts of any NJ bird.
Arrives in May; departs September for South American winter grounds.
How to spot one.
7.5–9 inches — larger than a sparrow, smaller than a robin
Blackish upperparts, clean white underparts
Black tail with a striking white terminal band
Small head with a hidden red crown patch (rarely visible)
Often perched upright on a fence post, wire, or exposed branch
What it sounds like.
A rapid, sputtering 'tzee-tzee-tzeetzeetzee' — sounds mechanical, like a small motor turning over.
How it lives.
Sallies out from exposed perches to catch flying insects, then returns to the same perch. Fiercely territorial — a mated pair will chase away everything from other Kingbirds to hawks. Nests on horizontal tree branches near open areas.
The spec sheet.
- Status
- Summer breeder
- Size
- 7.5–9.1 inches
- Present in NJ
- May – September
- Native to NJ
- Yes
- Conservation status
- declining
- Family
- Tyrannidae
What it eats.
Diet often shifts dramatically between breeding season and the rest of the year — especially for insectivorous birds that pivot to native berries in fall and winter.
Summer / breeding season
Flying insects: bees, wasps, beetles, dragonflies, flies
Grasshoppers, cicadas, moths
Almost exclusively insectivorous in NJ breeding season
Fall / winter
Migrates to Amazon basin, tropical South America
Dramatic shift: winter diet is nearly all fruit — figs, palm fruit, native tropical berries
What it needs.
Native plants that feed this bird or provide shelter. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.
Open fields with scattered perches
Cover / habitat
Wet meadow edges, farm fields
Cover / habitat
Riparian corridors
Cover / habitat
Declining across most of range from loss of open field habitat and pesticide impacts on flying insect prey. Not federally listed but tracked as a species of concern in some states.
Audubon Field Guide · All About Birds (Cornell)
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