Cassin's Kingbird

Cassin's Kingbird

Tyrannus vociferans

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at San Diego

In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%

16,559 Verified sightings at San Diego
1,291 In all 15 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Cassin's Kingbird

Cassin's kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans) is a large tyrant flycatcher native to western North America. The name of this bird commemorates the American ornithologist John Cassin. Cassin's kingbird was formally described in 1826 by English naturalist William Swainson under the current binomial name Tyrannus vociferans. The type locality is Temascaltepec, Mexico. The specific epithet vociferans is Latin for "shouting".

Two subspecies are recognised: They have a pale throat and deep yellow lower breast. Juveniles are duller and have pale edges on their wings. Measurements: Length: 8.3–9.1 in (21–23 cm) Weight: 1.6 oz (45 g) Wingspan: 41 cm Cassin's kingbird and the western kingbird are similar in appearance. Cassin's is a little larger than the western and the upper parts are a darker gray than the western. The most distinctive difference between these birds is that the Cassin's has a thin white edge... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Vesper calling1:02

United States · 2023

© Richard E. Webster · XC1034116 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:22

United States · 2025

© David Tattersley · XC999645 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song1:20

Mexico · 2021

© Manuel Grosselet · XC620778 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
2 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
3 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
5 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
9 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
10 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
11 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
12 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
13 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
15 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 León 🇲🇽 México
~80%
2 Puebla 🇲🇽 México
~50%
3 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
~40%
4 Toluca 🇲🇽 México
~40%
5 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
6 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
7 Guadalajara 🇲🇽 México
~30%
8 Tijuana 🇲🇽 México
~30%
9 Torreón 🇲🇽 México
~20%
10 San Luis Potosí 🇲🇽 México
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Cassin's Kingbird in San Diego?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Cassin's Kingbird sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 16,559 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 15th most-seen of the 386 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Cassin's Kingbird in San Diego?

June and October–April

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Cassin's Kingbird in San Diego on a given day, against about 30% in May and July–September, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Cassin's Kingbird?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cassin's Kingbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is San Diego the best place to see a Cassin's Kingbird?

5th of 15

Of the 15 cities where we can rate Cassin's Kingbird sightings, San Diego ranks 5th at about 40%. The best odds are in León (México, about 80%), Puebla (México, about 50%) and Mexico City (México, about 40%).

Where does the Cassin's Kingbird sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Cassin's Kingbird is recorded against all the birds logged in San Diego (16,559 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.

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