Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 39.9 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 tyrannus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 39.9 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 Eastern Kingbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Eastern Kingbird is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 39.9 g, with a wing length of about 11.7 cm and a tail of around 8.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 9.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Eastern Kingbird?
The Eastern Kingbird is a small bird that weighs around 39.9 g.
Where does the Eastern Kingbird live?
The Eastern Kingbird is found across North America with a range covering NA widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Eastern Kingbird belong to?
The Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Eastern Kingbird eat?
The Eastern Kingbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Eastern Kingbird migrate?
The Eastern Kingbird is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Eastern 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 Eastern Kingbird make?
1 real field recording of the Eastern 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 Eastern Kingbird's range?
The Eastern Kingbird has a mapped global range of about 9.1 million 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
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
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.