kingbird
- kingbird
-
/king"berrd'/, n.
any of several American tyrant flycatchers of the genus Tyrannus, esp.
T. tyrannus (eastern kingbird),
of North America,
known for their pugnacious disposition toward predators.
Also called bee martin.
[
1770-80, Amer.; KING + BIRD]
* * *
any of 13 species of birds (
bird)
of the family Tyrannidae noted for their pugnacity.
Although only about 20 cm (
8 inches)
long,
a kingbird will chase birds as large as a crow or a hawk;
it will even ride on the larger bird'
s back and peck at its head.
Kingbirds are gray above and white,
gray,
or yellow below.
All have a concealed but erectile crest of red,
orange,
or yellow.
The genus is widely distributed from Canada to Argentina.
The eastern kingbird (
T. tyrannus)
ranges from the east coast of the United States to eastern Washington and Oregon in the United States and British Columbia and the Northwest Territories in Canada;
it is dark slate gray above and white below,
with a white tail tip.
It is common along roads in open country and may also raid apiaries,
hence its local names of bee bird or bee-
martin.
The western kingbird (
T. verticalis),
found westward from the Great Plains,
is light gray above and yellow below,
with whitish edges on the outermost tail feathers.
Both species have a red spot (
usually concealed)
on the crown.
Sy Montgomery
* * *
Universalium.
2010.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
Kingbird — King bird, n. (Zo[ o]l.) 1. A small American bird ({Tyrannus tyrannus}, or {Tyrannus Carolinensis}), noted for its courage in attacking larger birds, even hawks and eagles, especially when they approach its nest in the breeding season. It is a… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
kingbird — ☆ kingbird [kiŋ′bʉrd΄] n. any of several aggressive tyrant flycatchers (genus Tyrannus) of the U.S. and Canada … English World dictionary
Kingbird — Taxobox name = Kingbirds image caption = Eastern Kingbird regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Passeriformes familia = Tyrannidae genus = Tyrannus genus authority = Lacepede, 1799 subdivision ranks = Species subdivision = See … Wikipedia
kingbird — karališkieji tironai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Tyrannus angl. kingbird rus. королевский тиранн, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – tironai siauresnis terminas – atogrąžinis karališkasis tironas siauresnis terminas –… … Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas
kingbird — noun Date: 1778 any of various American tyrant flycatchers (genus Tyrannus) that are gray above and white, gray, or yellow below … New Collegiate Dictionary
kingbird — noun A group of large insectivorous passerine birds of the genus Tyrannus … Wiktionary
kingbird — noun a large American tyrant flycatcher, typically with a grey head and back and yellowish or white underparts. [Genus Tyrannus: several species.] … English new terms dictionary
kingbird — n. Tyrant fly catcher (Muscicapa tyrannus or Tyrannus intrepidus) … New dictionary of synonyms
kingbird — king•bird [[t]ˈkɪŋˌbɜrd[/t]] n. orn any of several large, pugnacious New World flycatchers of the genus Tyrannus[/ex] • Etymology: 1770–80, amer … From formal English to slang
kingbird — n. any flycatcher of the genus Tyrannus, with olive grey plumage and long pointed wings … Useful english dictionary
