Photo: Mdf / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) — 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 Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 37.4 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 melancholicus
Where it lives
Southwestern USA to central Argentina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 37.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Urban & human-modified
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Tropical Kingbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of farmland, parks and gardens, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Tropical Kingbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA sw USA to c Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 37.4 g, with a wing length of about 10.9 cm and a tail of around 9.2 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 16.5 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Tropical Kingbird?
The Tropical Kingbird is a small bird that weighs around 37.4 g.
Where does the Tropical Kingbird live?
The Tropical Kingbird is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA sw USA to c Argentina, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.
What family does the Tropical Kingbird belong to?
The Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Tropical Kingbird eat?
The Tropical Kingbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Tropical Kingbird migrate?
The Tropical Kingbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Tropical 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 Tropical Kingbird make?
1 real field recording of the Tropical 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 Tropical Kingbird's range?
The Tropical Kingbird has a mapped global range of about 16.5 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.