208 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 



It has a very strong, harsh voice, and soon makes its pre- 

 sence known by its characteristic calls ; one of these is a 

 hoarse, long-drawn wheep ; another is a lower ivliip whip 

 ivhip, and a third a guttural, rattling cry. It frequents the 

 tops of tall trees, and seems to get much of its food without 

 the sallies into the air characteristic of the rest of the family. 

 The crest is not nearly so prominent as in the Jay or Cedar- 

 bird ; the loose feathers on the head are partially erected. 

 The loud, harsh notes first call attention to the bird, and 

 the peculiar coloring of the under parts — ashy, yellow, and 

 reddish-brown — should distinguish it when seen from 

 below. 



Kingbird. Tyrannus tyrannus 

 8.51 



Ad. — Top of head blackish, with a concealed crest of orange- 

 red; back gray; wings brown; tail Mack, tipped with white • under 

 parts white, washed with grayish across the breast. Im. — Tip of 

 tail and breast tinged with pale brownish-buff. 



Nest, rather bulky, either in trees from ten to thirty feet up, 

 or in bushes near water. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-brown. 



The Kingbird is a common summer resident throughout 

 New York and New England, except in heavily forested 

 regions. It arrives early in May, and is rarely seen after the 

 first of September. It occurs wherever there are trees sur- 

 rounded by open country, either in orchards or open farm- 

 ing land, or along streams. From the top of a tree, from a 

 mullein stalk, or a telegraph wire, it watches the air round 

 about, and makes sallies after passing insects. As it returns 

 to its perch, it spreads its broad fan-shaped tail, showing the 

 white tips of the black feathers. 



The Kingbird is notorious for its habit of pursuing crowds 

 and hawks, darting at them from above with vicious jabs, 

 often following them for a long distance, and returning at 

 last with a shrill kip-per, hip-per. Its mating performance 



