This Southern Texas specialty is very similar to Tropical Kingbird. The two are best distinguished by voice. The head is gray, with dark lores and ear coverts creating an indistinct dark mask, and a whitish throat. The olive-yellow breast transitions to a bright yellow belly and undertail coverts. The back is olive-gray. The wings and notched tail are brownish-black. When compared to Tropical Kingbird, Couch's has a broader, shorter bill with a curved culmen. At rest, the exposed primary tips are evenly spaced on Couch's Kingbird, unevenly spaced on Tropical. A good online comparison of museum specimens can be found at this link: http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/kingbirdsX.htm

Length: 20 (cm) Wingspan: 38 (cm)

Voice:

Call is a single kip. Song is an ascending towit, towit towit, toWEEEo.

Habitat:

Brushy areas with some tall trees, riparian corridors, forest edge, residential areas.

Behavior:

Like all kingbirds, fearlessly defends territory even against potential predators.

Feeding:

Flycatches for insects. Eats small fruit in winter.