The Great Kiskadee


The kiskadee nest is a large bulky structure, more or less round, with a single entry hole and is lined with soft material like wool and feathers.
The Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) is a large, striking bird whose name is derived from its call which sounds very much like French for “What are you saying” ...”Quest-ceque dit,” or kis-ka-dee. The Great Kiskadee is found from Texas, USA to Argentina and is also very common in Bermuda, where it was introduced in the 1950s. The Great Kiskadee lives in open woodlands, streamside thickets, groves, orchards and parks. In the tropics it occurs widely in many semi-open habitats, usually avoiding dense unbroken forest. It is a permanent resident throughout its range and does not migrate. Chances are you will hear this bird before you see it. During the heat of the day, while most birds are silent, the kiskadee will draw your attention by calling its name constantly while perched from a telephone wire or on a roof. This robin-sized bird is about ten inches in length. It has black and white stripes on the crown and sides of its head. It has a white line above its eyes. Its chest and undersides are a bright yellow and its throat is white. Its back and wings are brown and its bill and legs are black. Its bright pattern is unique in North America, but in the tropics several other flycatchers look almost identical.

Although the Great Kiskadee is a member of the flycatcher family, this bird breaks the rules for the flycatcher family. Besides catching insects in the air, it also grabs lizards from tree trunks, hops about in trees and shrubs to eat berries, and will even perch on branches that are low over water to plunge in for fish and tadpoles. It will dine on beetles, wasps, grasshoppers, bees and moths and will eat mice and frogs.

Kiskadees are monogamous and often travel in pairs. A male will mate with only one female, and the mating season begins in late March. The female Great Kiskadee lays two to five creamy-white and brown speckled eggs in a nest made of sticks, grass, moss and bark. The nest is a large bulky structure,


The bright pattern and colors of the kiskadee are unique in North America, but in the tropics several other flycatchers look almost identical.
more or less round, with a single entry hole and is lined with soft material like wool and feathers. The nest is usually built in a thorn tree or bush. Both parents defend the nesting territory and care for the young. Development of the young and age at first flight is not well known. The kiskadee defends its nest vigorously and even if it has no nest in the area it will be aggressive towards other birds. It is quite a common sight to see a kiskadee chasing a much bigger bird of prey.

One of its most feared predators is the coral snake and the kiskadee will stay away from anything that has the same color pattern as the coral snake. Kiskadee populations are stable or increasing in Texas and they may be increasing and spreading in the tropics where rain forests are cut. The kiskadee adapts well around clearings, edges, and second growth and is very common through out Latin America.

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