Return to Main Page   Dakota Birder Blog    

Eastern Kingbird Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite:  If it's summer, if you have a barbed wire fence, and there's any grassy habitat around at all (even if it's just the ditch), you've got a good chance of seeing an Eastern Kingbird.  Seeing that trademark white-tipped tail on a bird sitting on a fence line is a true hallmark of summer in eastern South Dakota.  We have both Eastern and Western Kingbirds throughout South Dakota, but in the southeastern part of the state where I live, it's these guys that you see the most.  The "favorite" photo below is from Newton Hills State Park in South Dakota.

Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus 

Eastern Kingbird 1 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 2 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 3 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 4 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 1

Eastern Kingbird 2

Eastern Kingbird 3 

Eastern Kingbird 4 

May 26th, 2003 

June 9th, 2003 

July 12th, 2003 

May 27th, 2007 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Yankton County, South Dakota 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

View from the backside of a Kingbird on a barbed wire fence

Closeup of Eastern Kingbird head and upper body 

Facing view of bird on eastern red cedar with fruit 

Vertical of Eastern Kingbird on barbed wire fence 

Eastern Kingbird 5 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 6 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 7 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 8 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 5 

Eastern Kingbird 6 

Eastern Kingbird 7 

Eastern Kingbird 8 

May 27th, 2007 

July 4th, 2005 

May 10th, 2009 

May 10th, 2009 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Fort Pierre National Grasslands, S. Dakota 

Big Sioux Recreation Area, South Dakota 

Lincoln County, South Dakota 

Head-on view of a kingbird on a barbed wire fence 

Kingbird with fresh breakfast, on barbed wire fence 

Bird perched on the top of a budding spring tree 

Backside view of kingbird on a barbed wire fence 

Eastern Kingbird 9 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 10 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 11 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 12 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 9 

Eastern Kingbird 10 

Eastern Kingbird 11 

Eastern Kingbird 12

May 17th, 2011 

July 5th, 2010 

July 5th, 2010 

May 22nd, 2010 

Big Sioux Recreation Area, South Dakota 

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

LaCreek National Wildlife Refuge, South Dakota 

Big Sioux Recreation Area, South Dakota 

Kingbird perched on sumac bush 

Over-the-shoulder look at kingbird on barbed wire 

Bird perched on the end of a dead branch 

Eastern Kingbird perched on tree branch in spring sun 

Eastern Kingbird 13 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 14 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 15 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 16 - Tyrannus tyrannus

Eastern Kingbird 13

Eastern Kingbird 14

Eastern Kingbird 15

Eastern Kingbird 16

August 13th, 2011 

May 12th, 2018 

May 8th, 2020

June 3rd, 2017 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Newton Hills State Park, South Dakota 

Alert kingbird perched on barbed wire fence 

Bird perched just over the water's surface on a cold spring day. 

Bird perched on a wire on a sunny spring day 

Eastern Kingbird calling from the top of an eastern red cedar tree

Eastern Kingbird 17 - Tyrannus tyrannus 

Eastern Kingbird 18 - Tyrannus tyrannus 

Eastern Kingbird 19 - Tyrannus tyrannus 

Eastern Kingbird 20 - Tyrannus tyrannus 

Eastern Kingbird 17

Eastern Kingbird 18

Eastern Kingbird 19

Eastern Kingbird 20

June 3rd, 2017 

June 3rd, 2017

August 9th, 2020 

August 9th, 2020 

Newton Hills State Park, South Dakota 

Newton Hills State Park, South Dakota 

McCook County, South Dakota 

McCook County, South Dakota 

Bird perched on top of juniper tree on a sunny blue sky day 

Kingbird taking flight with tail and wings spreading 

Immature Eastern Kingbird perched on a barbed wire fence 

Immature Eastern Kingbird perched on a barbed wire fence  

Click here for the species description page for the Eastern Kingbird

All photos copyrighted!  Click for information on commerical usage, or usage for other personal purposes.

Nature Photography - Done Naturally - Click for info

 Use the following Google dialogue to search this South Dakota Birds and Birding site:
Custom Search

SOUTH DAKOTA BIRDS AND BIRDING - LOCATIONS OF WEBSITE VISITORS

Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl