A royal bird

I had intended to write about the great kiskadee, but a review of my photos revealed that the only decent shot of an MYB (Mid-sized Yellow Bird, the Yucatan equivalent of the LBB, or Little Brown Bird) was of a tropical kingbird.

These handsome flycatchers are almost as common here in the coastal Yucatan as chickadees are in Ohio, since their preferred habitat is open woodland, meaning that they do well in towns with trees. In this neighborhood, they are often found perched on utility wires, looking for the insects that are their primary food. (There is a reason they are called flycatchers.) Since the climate here is definitely tropical, insects are plentiful, as are insectivorous birds. The fact that these hungry little songbirds are also pretty and fun to watch is a plus.

Some good news for kingbirds: human-induced landscape changes (i.e. less dense forest and more trees scattered among human habitations) have allowed these birds to expand their range and increase their numbers. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists them as a Species of Least Concern. They venture into only a few parts of the US, though, so I will just have to enjoy them while I'm here.