Bird of the Week

Thick-billed Kingbirds are commonly found in southwestern Mexico and have extended their range into southeastern Arizona with a few additional sightings in southern and central California as well as other Western States. They typically occur along perennial or intermittent streams and rivers with broader floodplains, near riparian woodland edges and clearings with large sycamores and/or cottonwoods. Like other kingbirds, this species forages in open habitats and captures insects on aerial hawking flights. Adults are dusky gray-brown above, with a darker, almost black crown and darker facial patch that helps distinguish them from other large Tyrannus Kingbirds including our Western, Cassin’s and Tropical Kingbirds. Their underparts are much more white than other species with pale gray on breast and variable amount of pale yellow on the belly and undertail coverts. When viewed at close range, its massive thick bill also helps to separate it from other species.

This bird was found at Lynch Canyon Open Space by Chris Dong around 2:00 p.m. on December 8th. Other birders including our very own Roger Muskat and Eric Pilotte arrived shortly thereafter confirming the find, with a number of photos and recordings taken. This is a 1st Solano County Record and the northernmost California sighting of this species. The bird called frequently and perched in oaks and other trees along the 2 riparian trails that wind their way up the canyon. About 18 birders refound the bird the next day. It was more skittish moving along the riparian zones on both trails, but was finally refound in the open meadow below the pond flycatching from a dead snag where it perched for over an hour feeding on insects that it snagged in frequent flights from it’s perch. This is the northernmost California record to date with past sightings in San Mateo (2021), Half Moon Bay (1999), and and San Francisco (1974) and a number of observations in the L.A. and San Diego area. Thick-billed Kingbirds have wandered further North in other states including Utah, Colorado, and even North Dakota.