Tropical Kingbird

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Tropical Kingbird in Piedras Blancas National Park?

Likely. About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Kingbird sighting in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, based on 1,404 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 344 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Tropical Kingbird in Piedras Blancas National Park?

May, July and December–March. In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Kingbird in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, against about 50% in April, June and August–November, the lowest months.

Q: 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.

Q: Is Piedras Blancas National Park the best place to see a Tropical Kingbird?

13th of 87. Of the 87 parks where we can rate Tropical Kingbird sightings, Piedras Blancas National Park ranks 13th at about 60%. The best odds are in Masaya Volcano National Park (Nicaragua, about 80%), Parque Natural Metropolitano (Panama, about 80%) and Main Ridge Forest Reserve (Trinidad and Tobago, about 70%). All parks ranked.

Q: 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 Piedras Blancas National Park (1,404 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.

Tyrannus melancholicus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
GenusTyrannus (Kingbirds)
SpeciesTyrannus melancholicus (Tropical Kingbird)

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

at Piedras Blancas National Park

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

1,404 Verified sightings at Piedras Blancas National Park From 2019 to 2026

92,094 In all 87 parks

January Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Challenge South American City Birds South AmericaEasy

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 →

Sounds

Call0:30

Brazil · 2026

Song0:39

Costa Rica · 2026

Dawn song0:25

Brazil · 2024

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 1 zoo or centre

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	~80%
2	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	~80%
3	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~70%
4	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
5	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~70%
6	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
7	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~70%
8	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~60%
9	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~60%
10	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
11	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~60%
12	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~60%
13	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
14	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
15	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~60%
16	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~60%
17	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
18	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~50%
19	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
20	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~50%
21	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~50%
22	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~50%
23	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~50%
24	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
25	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~50%
26	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
27	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~50%
28	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
29	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~50%
30	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~50%
31	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~40%
32	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~40%
33	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
34	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
35	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
36	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~40%
37	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
38	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
39	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
40	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
41	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~40%
42	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
43	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
44	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
45	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
46	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~40%
47	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
48	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~40%
49	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
50	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~40%
51	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~40%
52	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
53	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~30%
54	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
55	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
56	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~30%
57	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~30%
58	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~30%
59	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~30%
60	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~30%
61	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~30%
62	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
63	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
64	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
65	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
66	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
67	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
68	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
69	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~20%
70	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
71	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
72	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
73	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
74	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
75	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
76	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
77	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
78	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~10%
79	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
80	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
81	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
82	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
83	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	<5%
84	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
85	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
86	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
87	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Maracaibo	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~90%
2	Cali	🇨🇴 Colombia	~80%
3	Salvador	🇧🇷 Brazil	~80%
4	Managua	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	~80%
5	Caracas	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~80%
6	Medellín	🇨🇴 Colombia	~80%
7	San Pedro Sula	🇭🇳 Honduras	~80%
8	Guayaquil	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~80%
9	Niterói	🇧🇷 Brazil	~80%
10	San José	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	San Diego Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity

Closest Relatives at Piedras Blancas National Park

Tyrannus savana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tyrannus tyrannus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Tyrannus verticalis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Myiozetetes similis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Myiozetetes granadensis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Todirostrum cinereum

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Attila spadiceus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Legatus leucophaius

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Mionectes oleagineus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Myiozetetes cayanensis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Zimmerius vilissimus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Tropical Kingbird in Piedras Blancas National Park?

Likely

About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Kingbird sighting in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, based on 1,404 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 344 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, 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 Piedras Blancas National Park?

May, July and December–March

In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Kingbird in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, against about 50% in April, June and August–November, 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 Piedras Blancas National Park the best place to see a Tropical Kingbird?

13th of 87

Of the 87 parks where we can rate Tropical Kingbird sightings, Piedras Blancas National Park ranks 13th at about 60%. The best odds are in Masaya Volcano National Park (Nicaragua, about 80%), Parque Natural Metropolitano (Panama, about 80%) and Main Ridge Forest Reserve (Trinidad and Tobago, about 70%). All parks ranked.

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 Piedras Blancas National Park (1,404 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.

← Back to Piedras Blancas National Park

Tropical Kingbird

About the Tropical Kingbird

Sounds

Recent sightings of Tropical Kingbird in Piedras Blancas National Park

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Piedras Blancas National Park

Fork-tailed Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird

Western Kingbird

Great Kiskadee

Social Flycatcher

Gray-capped Flycatcher

Common Tody-Flycatcher

Bright-rumped Attila

Piratic Flycatcher

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher

Rusty-margined Flycatcher

Guatemalan Paltry Tyrannulet

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Tropical Kingbird in Piedras Blancas National Park?

When is the best time to see a Tropical Kingbird in Piedras Blancas National Park?

What time of day is best to see a Tropical Kingbird?

Is Piedras Blancas National Park the best place to see a Tropical Kingbird?

Where does the Tropical Kingbird sighting chance come from?