All birds Tyrant Flycatchers
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Tyrannus forficatus
Here April to October.
Recorded by sneekieneeks. CC BY-NC, via iNaturalist, trimmed and volume evened out.
Look for
- A very long black and white tail that splits into 2 points, like open scissors.
- A pale gray head and back with a white chest.
- Salmon-pink sides. Under the wings it's pink too, so watch for it when the bird flies.
A little about it
This is Oklahoma's state bird. It got the job in 1951.
It sits on a fence or a wire and waits. When a bug flies by, it zips out and grabs it in the air. It eats lots of grasshoppers. Sometimes they make up more than half of what it eats.
Its tail can be longer than the rest of its body. When it flies, it opens and shuts the tail like a pair of scissors.
In late summer, scissor-tails sleep together in big groups in the same trees each night. Some groups have hundreds of birds. Then in fall they fly south to Mexico and Central America for the winter.
Fun fact
In spring, the male does a sky dance. He flies up about 100 feet, then zigzags back down while he calls. Sometimes he even flips over backward in the air.
When it's here
- January: not here
- February: a few
- March: a few
- April: here
- May: here
- June: here
- July: here
- August: here
- September: here
- October: here
- November: a few
- December: not here
Taller bars mean more sightings. Most often seen in June.
How big
9 to 15 inches, counting the tail. Its body is about as big as a robin. The tail makes it look much longer.
Where to look
Open country with fences, power lines, and a few trees. Look for it sitting on a wire along a road, then darting out to catch a bug.
People have spotted it at Arcadia Lake, Mitch Park, Lake Stanley Draper.
Could it be something else?
Western Kingbird
Same size body, but its belly is bright yellow and its tail is short and square. Young scissor-tails have short tails too, so check the belly. Pale with a little pink means scissor-tail.
Where these facts come from
- Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation field guide
- Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Oklahoma Historical Society, state bird entry
- When it's here: Sightings shared on iNaturalist in the 8 counties, all years.