Birding Friends,
I've never been a big fan of flycatchers. Our local ones are not especially
spectacular and they are alway a challenge to identify, if you are able to at
all. This is certainly not the case with the spectacular Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher(STFC), one of the lower 48's most stunning birds. When you see one,
there's usually little doubt as to what it is. It might possibly be confused
with the very rare Fork-tailed Flycatcher, but that's about it. "No other
North American songbirds are as long-tailed as these flycatchers."(Sibley). Of
course, you normally don't see the STFC in our area. It's usually necessary to
travel to the central southwest to witness their beauty. Texas is a well-known
place to view them, especially South Texas along the Rio Grande Valley.
However, this bird has been observed in Buncombe County, once very recently
along Warren Wilson College Road. As recently as May 8 the bird was reported
by 14 individuals at the same location in Mecklenburg County, NC, and
confirmed according to the Carolina Bird Club sightings page. Then just
yesterday John K. and the Birdathon group saw one at Mill's River Park! So,
they do get around a bit. I have a vivid memory of seeing this bird near my
home in Riceville sitting on a wire in the mid-1980s. It was unmistakable!
Though they are rarely seen in our area, the STFC is common in south Texas. On
a recent Ventures Tour, we saw dozens. This is a bird slightly smaller than a
Robin in body size, but the very long forked tail can fool you, making it seem
larger. I did not find a measurement for the average tail length, but it is
quite long, as you can see from the photos that follow. Males have longer tail
feathers than females. Body color in both sexes is light gray with salmon-pink
flanks that continue under mostly blackish wings. Now, have a look at the
beauty and grace of these birds in action.
Photo 1 and 2. A female is sitting on fence waiting for an insect (Photo 1).
In the second flight photo, note body length compared to tail length,
coloration, and deeply forked tail.
Photo 3 and 4. As the name implies, these birds constantly fly from their
perch to catch flies and other insects. Photo 3 shows a male that recently
left a tree and began its search. Photo 4 shows the long tail that is believed
to aid in the ability to quickly change direction and maintain balance to close
in and grab the insect. Note insect above the head.
Photo 5 and 6. The bird often swoops downward toward its prey. Photo 6 shows
a successful catch, the insect just caught in its bill.
Photo 7 and 8. After an acrobatic insect foray and successful catch, the bird
heads back to its perch (Photo 7) to enjoy the meal (Photo 8), or perhaps to
return to a nest to feed chicks and sustain this incredible bird.
I hope you enjoyed the feathery show, and just maybe you'll see one in the
neighborhood.
Alan LenkAsheville
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