Great Kiskadee

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Great Kiskadee in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?

Likely. About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Great Kiskadee sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 1,237 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 288 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 Great Kiskadee in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?

June and August. In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Great Kiskadee in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against about 40% in February and September–October, the lowest months. Those are among Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain a month against 30 mm in March.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Great Kiskadee?

Between 8 and 11 am. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Great Kiskadee 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 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve the best place to see a Great Kiskadee?

33rd of 81. Of the 81 parks where we can rate Great Kiskadee sightings, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve ranks 33rd at about 50%. The best odds are in Tijuca National Park (Brazil, about 90%), Las Baulas Marine National Park (Costa Rica, about 80%) and Iberá National Park (Argentina, about 80%). All parks ranked.

Q: Which relatives of the Great Kiskadee live in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?

Same family: Tyrannidae. The closest relatives of the Great Kiskadee that you can see in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Social Flycatcher (about 70%), Couch's Kingbird (about 40%) and Tropical Kingbird (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Great Kiskadee sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Great Kiskadee is recorded against all the birds logged in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (1,237 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.

Pitangus sulphuratus

Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
GenusPitangus (Great Kiskadees)
SpeciesPitangus sulphuratus (Great Kiskadee)

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

at Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

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

1,237 Verified sightings at Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve From 2019 to 2026

96,858 In all 81 parks

June Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Challenge South American City Birds South AmericaEasy

About the Great Kiskadee

The great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is the only member of the genus Pitangus. It breeds in open woodland with some tall trees, including cultivation and around human habitation. It is found from the extreme southern United States south to Argentina. It was introduced to Bermuda in 1957, and to Tobago in about 1970.

The great kiskadee was described and illustrated in 1648 by the German naturalist Georg Marcgrave in the Historia Naturalis Brasiliae. He used the name Pitangua-guaçu, the word for a large flycatcher in the Tupi language. In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the species in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected in Cayenne, French Guiana. He used the French name La Pie-Griesche jaune de Cayenne and the Latin name Lanius Cayanensis Luteus. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.

When the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition in 1766 he added 240 species that had been previously... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:21

Costa Rica · 2026

Dawn song0:27

Ecuador · 2024

Call0:17

Brazil · 2026

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 7 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~90%
2	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~80%
3	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~80%
4	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~80%
5	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~80%
6	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~80%
7	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~80%
8	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~80%
9	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
10	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	~70%
11	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
12	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~70%
13	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
14	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~70%
15	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
16	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
17	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~70%
18	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
19	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~60%
20	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
21	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
22	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
23	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~60%
24	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
25	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~60%
26	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~60%
27	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
28	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~60%
29	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
30	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~60%
31	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~60%
32	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~50%
33	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
34	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~50%
35	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~50%
36	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
37	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~50%
38	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~50%
39	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~50%
40	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~50%
41	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~40%
42	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
43	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
44	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
45	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
46	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
47	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~40%
48	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
49	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
50	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
51	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
52	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~30%
53	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
54	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~30%
55	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~30%
56	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~30%
57	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~30%
58	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
59	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
60	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~30%
61	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
62	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
63	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
64	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
65	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
66	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
67	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
68	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
69	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
70	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
71	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
72	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
73	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
74	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
75	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
76	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	<5%
77	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
78	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
79	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
80	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
81	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Niterói	🇧🇷 Brazil	>90%
2	Salvador	🇧🇷 Brazil	>90%
3	São Paulo	🇧🇷 Brazil	>90%
4	Porto Alegre	🇧🇷 Brazil	~90%
5	Cordoba	🇦🇷 Argentina	~90%
6	João Pessoa	🇧🇷 Brazil	~90%
7	Goiânia	🇧🇷 Brazil	~90%
8	Belo Horizonte	🇧🇷 Brazil	~90%
9	Natal	🇧🇷 Brazil	~90%
10	Brasilia	🇧🇷 Brazil	~90%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Prague Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
2	Parque das Aves	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
3	Zoo Pilsen	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
4	Mangal das Garças	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
5	Croco Cun Zoo	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
6	Rákosův pavilon	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
7	Velemlokárium	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity

Closest Relatives at Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Myiozetetes similis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Tyrannus couchii

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Megarynchus pitangua

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Myiarchus tuberculifer

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Tolmomyias sulphurescens

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Contopus cinereus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Empidonax minimus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Elaenia flavogaster

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Rhynchocyclus brevirostris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Myiarchus tyrannulus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Myiodynastes luteiventris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Great Kiskadee in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Great Kiskadee sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 1,237 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 288 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 Great Kiskadee in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?

June and August

In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Great Kiskadee in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against about 40% in February and September–October, the lowest months. Those are among Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain a month against 30 mm in March.

What time of day is best to see a Great Kiskadee?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Great Kiskadee 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 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve the best place to see a Great Kiskadee?

33rd of 81

Of the 81 parks where we can rate Great Kiskadee sightings, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve ranks 33rd at about 50%. The best odds are in Tijuca National Park (Brazil, about 90%), Las Baulas Marine National Park (Costa Rica, about 80%) and Iberá National Park (Argentina, about 80%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Great Kiskadee live in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?

Same family: Tyrannidae

The closest relatives of the Great Kiskadee that you can see in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Social Flycatcher (about 70%), Couch's Kingbird (about 40%) and Tropical Kingbird (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Great Kiskadee sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Great Kiskadee is recorded against all the birds logged in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (1,237 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 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Great Kiskadee

About the Great Kiskadee

Sounds

Recent sightings of Great Kiskadee in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Social Flycatcher

Couch's Kingbird

Tropical Kingbird

Boat-billed Flycatcher

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Yellow-olive Flycatcher

Southern Tropical Pewee

Least Flycatcher

Yellow-bellied Elaenia

Eye-ringed Flatbill

Brown-crested Flycatcher

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Great Kiskadee in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?

When is the best time to see a Great Kiskadee in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?

What time of day is best to see a Great Kiskadee?

Is Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve the best place to see a Great Kiskadee?

Which relatives of the Great Kiskadee live in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?

Where does the Great Kiskadee sighting chance come from?