Giant Kingbird
Encyclopedia
The Giant Kingbird is a species of bird
in the tyrant flycatcher
family Tyrannidae
. It is endemic to Cuba
, although there are historical records of it on other islands. The species is probably mostly closely related to the Loggerhead Kingbird
, which also occurs in Cuba as well as several other nearby Caribbean
islands.
This species averages 23 cm (9 in) long. Despite their name, this species (though large) is not the largest tyrant flycatcher nor even the largest kingbird
, since the Thick-billed Kingbird
is slightly bigger. The Giant Kingbird is found in tall lowland forest. In particular it favours pine forests
and the wooded borders of waterways. It is also found in mixed pine barrens, open woodlands, swamps and savanna. It has also been seen in cloud forest.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the tyrant flycatcher
Tyrant flycatcher
The tyrant flycatchers are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds on Earth, with more than 400 species. They are the most diverse avian family in every country in the Americas, except for the United States and...
family Tyrannidae
Tyrant flycatcher
The tyrant flycatchers are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds on Earth, with more than 400 species. They are the most diverse avian family in every country in the Americas, except for the United States and...
. It is endemic to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, although there are historical records of it on other islands. The species is probably mostly closely related to the Loggerhead Kingbird
Loggerhead Kingbird
The Loggerhead Kingbird is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family.It is found in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and, very rarely, in the United States....
, which also occurs in Cuba as well as several other nearby Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands.
This species averages 23 cm (9 in) long. Despite their name, this species (though large) is not the largest tyrant flycatcher nor even the largest kingbird
Kingbird
The genus Tyrannus is a group of large insect-eating birds in the Tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. The majority are named as Kingbirds.They prefer semi-open or open areas. These birds wait on an exposed perch and then catch insects in flight...
, since the Thick-billed Kingbird
Thick-billed Kingbird
The Thick-billed Kingbird, Tyrannus crassirostris, is a large bird in the Tyrannidae family, the tyrant flycatchers. This bird breeds from southeastern Arizona, extreme southwestern New Mexico, and northern Sonora, , in the United States and Mexico, through western and western-coastal Mexico,...
is slightly bigger. The Giant Kingbird is found in tall lowland forest. In particular it favours pine forests
Cuban pine forests
The Cuban pine forests are a tropical coniferous forest ecoregion on the Caribbean islands of Cuba and Isla de la Juventud. They cover an area of , occurring in separate sections in eastern Cuba and western Cuba and Isla de la Juventud.-Description:...
and the wooded borders of waterways. It is also found in mixed pine barrens, open woodlands, swamps and savanna. It has also been seen in cloud forest.
It is threatened by habitat loss.