Tyrannus verticalis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The western kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) is a large tyrant flycatcher found throughout western North America, as far south as Mexico. Adults are a combination of both gray and yellow plumage, along with crimson feathers that are hidden until courtship or against intruders. Characteristic of kingbird species, the western kingbird is very territorial. Although the western is often misidentified as Cassin's kingbird, Couch's kingbird, or the tropical kingbird due to the yellow coloration, it can be distinguished from these other species through its black, squared tail with white edges.
The breeding habitat is open areas in western North America. The increased presence of trees throughout the Great Plains during the past century due to fire suppression and tree planting facilitated the range expansion of the western kingbird, as well as range expansions of many other species of birds.
Instances of hybridization with the closely related Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) have been reported. Hybridization between the two species may become more frequent as the expanding range of the Western Kingbird increasingly... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Ciudad Juárez | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abilene Zoological Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | The Abilene Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Kingbird sighting in Death Valley National Park on a given day, based on 146 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 61st most-seen of the 213 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and September
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Western Kingbird in Death Valley National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to March, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western 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.
5th of 36
Of the 36 parks where we can rate Western Kingbird sightings, Death Valley National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Badlands National Park (United States, about 40%), Zion National Park (United States, about 20%) and Big Bend National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Tyrannidae
The closest relatives of the Western Kingbird that you can see in Death Valley National Park (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Say's Phoebe (about 60%), Black Phoebe (about 40%) and Vermilion Flycatcher (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Kingbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Death Valley National Park (146 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
