|
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.
Click here to return to the main page for Caribbean Critters
|