Photo: TonyCastro / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Couch’s Kingbird
Tyrannus couchii
Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Couch’s Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 39 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Tyrannidae Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura
- Genus Tyrannus
- Species couchii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 39 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Couch’s Kingbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Couch’s Kingbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Couch’s Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA s Texas, e Mexico to Belize.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 39 g, with a wing length of about 11.7 cm and a tail of around 9.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 551,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Couch’s Kingbird?
The Couch’s Kingbird is a small bird that weighs around 39 g.
Where does the Couch’s Kingbird live?
The Couch’s Kingbird is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA s Texas, e Mexico to Belize, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Couch’s Kingbird belong to?
The Couch’s Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Couch’s Kingbird eat?
The Couch’s Kingbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Couch’s Kingbird migrate?
The Couch’s Kingbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Couch’s Kingbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Couch’s Kingbird make?
1 real field recording of the Couch’s Kingbird — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Couch’s Kingbird's range?
The Couch’s Kingbird has a mapped global range of about 551,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Tyrannidae
A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.