Friday's Foto

 

The Eastern Kingbird is a relatively common breeding bird around Brooklyn and the rest of New York City, usually choosing a nest site adjacent to water. A fairly large dark gray and white bird, its square, white-tipped tail is distinctive. They feed primarily on insects. Waiting patiently on a preferred perched, they dart out to grab its prey, returning to its perch where it will beat the insect senseless before devouring it. The kingbird has a hidden red-orange crown, which it will rarely show, mainly to intimidate a potential predator. By the end of August this long-distance migrant will disappear from North America to its wintering grounds in lowlands of South America. Listen to the high-pitched, sputtering trills of the Eastern Kingbird's song: