Goober Stotler caught this bird hanging out at the entrance to the El Maso Ranch in McCook Texas. Did you know it is the state bird of Oklahoma? Read more on this unique bird below and thanks for nabbing the photo Goober.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Tyrannus forficatus L 13″ (33cm)
 Photo by Larry Ditto. |
There is almost no mistaking the scissor-tailed flycatcher. The male’s nine-inch-long tail and the female’s slightly shorter one proclaim their identity whether seen in good light or in silhouette, flying or perched. Except for the fork-tailed flycatcher of the American tropics (an extremely rare vagrant north of the Mexican border), no other North American bird has such a long, narrow tail compared with its body size.
Pale gray is the scissortail’s predominant color, approaching white on the face and breast. The wings are blackish, the tail black and white. Scarlet “armpits” are mostly concealed while the bird is perched, and a scarlet crown patch is almost always hidden. The flanks and belly are flushed salmon pink, which can vary in brightness from individual to individual.
The migratory scissor-tailed flycatcher breeds from extreme northeastern Mexico (generally within a short distance of the Texas border) north through southeastern New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, extreme southeastern Colorado, most of Kansas, western Missouri, Arkansas, and much of western and northern Louisiana.
http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyard_birds/bird_id/scissortailed_flycatcher.aspx
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