

Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
- GenusTyrannus (Kingbirds)
- SpeciesTyrannus melancholicus (Tropical Kingbird)
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
About the Tropical Kingbird
The tropical kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) is a large tyrant flycatcher. This bird breeds from southern Arizona and the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States through Central America, South America as far as south as central Argentina and eastern Peru, and on Trinidad and Tobago. Birds from the northernmost and southern breeding areas migrate to warmer parts of the range after breeding.
The tropical kingbird was formally described in 1819 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot under the binomial name Tyrannus melancholicus. Vieillot based his description on the Suirirí-Guazú that had been described by the Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara in 1805 in his book Apuntamientos para la historia natural de los páxaros del Paragüay y Rio de la Plata. The specific epithet is Latin meaning "melancholic" (that is "bad-tempered").
Three subspecies are recognised: An adult tropical kingbird is 22... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Tropical Kingbird in Porto Alegre
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Closest Relatives at Porto Alegre
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Tropical Kingbird in Porto Alegre?
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Kingbird sighting in Porto Alegre on a given day, based on 1,056 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 16th most-seen of the 159 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Tropical Kingbird in Porto Alegre?
January and February
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Kingbird in Porto Alegre on a given day, against under 5% in May to August, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Tropical Kingbird?
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tropical Kingbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Porto Alegre the best place to see a Tropical Kingbird?
34th of 60
Of the 60 cities where we can rate Tropical Kingbird sightings, Porto Alegre ranks 34th at about 40%. The best odds are in Maracaibo (Venezuela, about 90%), Cali (Colombia, about 80%) and Salvador (Brazil, about 80%).
Where does the Tropical Kingbird sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tropical Kingbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Porto Alegre (1,056 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.