Comparing Juvenile And Adult Western Kingbirds (and a question of field guide accuracy)
Sometimes what I see in the field and in my images doesn’t match very well with what I see in field guides. This is an example.
Category: Flycatchers
Montana Farm Potpourri
Whenever I visit the northwest Montana farm where I grew up I feel like I’m returning home. It’s been 50 years since I actually lived there but I don’t think that feeling will ever leave me.
Male Western Kingbird Displaying, Then Taking Off
The Western Kingbird is known for its belligerent behavior and at least 9 aggressive displays have been identified. The Wing Flutter is one of them.
Kingbird In Flight With Horizontal Wings – And I Actually Like It
I don’t often keep an image where the wings of a songbird in flight are in a horizontal position.
The Male Western Kingbird In All His Glory
Kingbird Diving After Nesting Material
A few days ago I was pleased to photograph a Western Kingbird in a flight posture and flight angle that was just a bit unusual.
VTOL Kingbird
I’ve long been a fan of VTOL (Vertical Takeoff And Landing) aircraft for their versatility and incredible power.
Yet One More Kingbird – A Takeoff Pose I Like A Lot
For the past few days a mated pair of Western Kingbirds has been trying to decide on a nesting site and as of yesterday that decision has been made.
Male Western Kingbird In Flight
Until this past spring my cupboard was largely bare of flight shots of Western Kingbirds. But this male gave me plenty of opportunity to practice my skills as he encouraged his mate at nest-building.
Some Western Kingbird Shots I Like
This past spring I spent some wonderful time with a pair of Western Kingbirds as they constructed their nest. Well, truth be told the female actually did all of the heavy work but the male did his part by watching her closely and making sure she did everything just right…
The Seldom Seen Red Crown Patch Of The Western Kingbird
Many are surprised to learn that the Western Kingbird has a reddish-orange crown patch that bisects the top center of its head. The patch is usually kept concealed but occasionally they will quickly flash the patch at unpredictable moments, especially when other birds invade their territory. I’ve featured the crown patch on my blog previously but earlier this summer I had my best look at it so I thought I’d revisit the subject this morning.
Eastern Kingbird Adult And Fledgling – A Question Of Behavior
Yesterday morning at Farmington Bay I photographed a subtle but interesting bit of kingbird behavior that caught my attention and piqued my curiosity.
Hovering Western Kingbird
It’s virtually unheard of for me to catch a kingbird in full flight (as opposed to take-off or landing) with any kind of image quality but two days ago I finally had some success in that arena.
Male Western Kingbird Greeting His Lady
Male Western Kingbirds take no part in nest construction or incubation. Nor do they feed the female while she’s on the nest (she leaves the nest to feed several times per day). But he’s always there, seeming to offer encouragement and watch carefully over the proceedings.
My Favorite Image From My Time With The Nest-building Kingbirds
Earlier this week I spent several mornings photographing a female Western Kingbird as she was constructing her nest. Out of the many hundreds of shots I took of her the third image in this post is my favorite.
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Montana Farm Potpourri
Whenever I visit the northwest Montana farm where I grew up I feel like I’m returning home. It’s been 50 years since I actually lived there but I don’t think that feeling will ever leave me.
Male Western Kingbird Displaying, Then Taking Off
The Western Kingbird is known for its belligerent behavior and at least 9 aggressive displays have been identified. The Wing Flutter is one of them.
Kingbird In Flight With Horizontal Wings – And I Actually Like It
I don’t often keep an image where the wings of a songbird in flight are in a horizontal position.
The Male Western Kingbird In All His Glory
Kingbird Diving After Nesting Material
A few days ago I was pleased to photograph a Western Kingbird in a flight posture and flight angle that was just a bit unusual.
VTOL Kingbird
I’ve long been a fan of VTOL (Vertical Takeoff And Landing) aircraft for their versatility and incredible power.
Yet One More Kingbird – A Takeoff Pose I Like A Lot
For the past few days a mated pair of Western Kingbirds has been trying to decide on a nesting site and as of yesterday that decision has been made.
Male Western Kingbird In Flight
Until this past spring my cupboard was largely bare of flight shots of Western Kingbirds. But this male gave me plenty of opportunity to practice my skills as he encouraged his mate at nest-building.
Some Western Kingbird Shots I Like
This past spring I spent some wonderful time with a pair of Western Kingbirds as they constructed their nest. Well, truth be told the female actually did all of the heavy work but the male did his part by watching her closely and making sure she did everything just right…
The Seldom Seen Red Crown Patch Of The Western Kingbird
Many are surprised to learn that the Western Kingbird has a reddish-orange crown patch that bisects the top center of its head. The patch is usually kept concealed but occasionally they will quickly flash the patch at unpredictable moments, especially when other birds invade their territory. I’ve featured the crown patch on my blog previously but earlier this summer I had my best look at it so I thought I’d revisit the subject this morning.
Eastern Kingbird Adult And Fledgling – A Question Of Behavior
Yesterday morning at Farmington Bay I photographed a subtle but interesting bit of kingbird behavior that caught my attention and piqued my curiosity.
Hovering Western Kingbird
It’s virtually unheard of for me to catch a kingbird in full flight (as opposed to take-off or landing) with any kind of image quality but two days ago I finally had some success in that arena.
Male Western Kingbird Greeting His Lady
Male Western Kingbirds take no part in nest construction or incubation. Nor do they feed the female while she’s on the nest (she leaves the nest to feed several times per day). But he’s always there, seeming to offer encouragement and watch carefully over the proceedings.
My Favorite Image From My Time With The Nest-building Kingbirds
Earlier this week I spent several mornings photographing a female Western Kingbird as she was constructing her nest. Out of the many hundreds of shots I took of her the third image in this post is my favorite.