Birds
Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher
Tyrannus forficatus · also called scissortail
A hawk drifts too close to a nest, and before it can react, a scissor-tailed flycatcher launches from a fence wire and drives it off entirely, a bird a fraction of the hawk’s size settling the matter through sheer persistence and a dramatically long forked tail trailing behind it.
Overview
The scissor-tailed flycatcher, Tyrannus forficatus, is a striking insectivorous songbird native to grassland habitat across the south-central United States. Its extraordinarily long, forked tail and fearless habit of mobbing much larger birds make it one of the more visually and behaviourally distinctive birds of the American plains.
A small bird that backs down from nothing
Size means little to a scissor-tailed flycatcher defending its nest, which will take on a hawk or a crow with the same confidence it uses to snatch a passing insect out of the air, trusting persistence over any advantage in size.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable grassland habitat throughout the south-central United States.
Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher: common questions
Why does the scissor-tailed flycatcher attack birds so much bigger than itself?
A scissor-tailed flycatcher will aggressively dive-bomb hawks, crows, and other much larger birds that stray too close to its nest, a defensive strategy that relies on repeated, persistent harassment rather than physical size, and it is generally effective at driving off potential nest predators despite the dramatic size difference.
How long is a scissor-tailed flycatcher's tail?
A scissor-tailed flycatcher carries a deeply forked tail that in males can exceed the length of the bird's own body, an especially dramatic proportion that makes the species one of the most visually distinctive songbirds found across its grassland range.
How does a scissor-tailed flycatcher catch insects?
A scissor-tailed flycatcher typically watches for passing flying insects from an exposed perch such as a fence wire or dead branch, launching out in a quick aerial sally to catch its prey before returning to the same or a nearby perch to continue watching.
Where does the scissor-tailed flycatcher live?
The scissor-tailed flycatcher breeds across open grassland and scattered woodland habitat in the south-central United States, then migrates to Central America for the winter, often gathering in large communal roosts beforehand.