Great Kiskadee

Quick Take

• Scientists introduced the Great Kiskadee to Bermuda to solve an invasive species problem, but in doing so they triggered something far worse. See the Bermuda disaster →
• This bird can recognize and avoid one of its deadliest predators without ever having encountered it before. Explore its predator defenses →
• Beneath its bold black crown hides a secret feature the Great Kiskadee only reveals when provoked. Discover the hidden crest →
• Its hunting strategy goes far beyond catching flies. This bird steals from predators, rivals, and even your dog. See its opportunistic diet →

The Great Kiskadee is a bright and colorful bird recognized by its yellow belly, reddish-brown back, and black and white striped head. The kiskadee was named because of its unique call. Observers describe it as sounding a lot like kis-ka-dee, or bee-tee-wee. This flycatcher, one of the largest in the Tyrannidae family, is present across an expanding range. It is also known as the bem-te-vi, benteveo, or bienteveo through much of its Portuguese and Spanish-speaking range.

Incredible Great Kiskadee Facts

• The scientific name of the Great Kiskadee, Pitangus sulphuratus, refers to its bright yellow belly, which is the color of sulfur.  
• This bird is an amazingly adept hunter in the air, on the water, and over the land.
• The Great Kiskadee differs from the Lesser Kiskadee by its short, sturdy bill, its stocky appearance, and its distinct kis-ka-dee call.
• Male and female Great Kiskadees look alike.
• These birds are aggressive defenders of their territory, taking on other birds, including raptors, in midair fights.
• The main predator of the Great Kiskadee is the coral snake.

Where to Find Great Kiskadees

Great Kiskadees are incredibly adaptable birds. They are opportunistic omnivores that nest in all sorts of habitats, from woodlands and scrublands to open grasslands, agricultural regions, and even highly urban areas. They live throughout much of South America, Central America, parts of Mexico, and into the United States in far southern Texas. Great Kiskadees also often live near wetlands and waterways, as they are just as adept at catching prey from the water as they are in the air.

Classification and Scientific Name

The Great Kiskadee’s scientific name is Pitangus sulphuratus. The word pitangus comes from the language of the indigenous Tupi of Brazil and refers to a flycatcher. Sulphuratus refers to the bright yellow sulfur-like color of the bird’s underside and concealed crown feathers.

P. sulphuratus is the only species in the genus, which was assigned by the British naturalist William Swainson in 1827. Currently, a total of ten subspecies of P. sulphuratus exist. French zoologist M. J. Brisson originally described the species in 1760.

The Lesser Kiskadee, Philohydor lictor, was also originally part of the Pitangus genus. It is very similar in appearance to the Great Kiskadee, with notable exceptions. It has a much longer and thinner bill and is a smaller and more slender bird overall. In 1984, the much less common Lesser Kiskadee was moved to the genus Philohydor, meaning water-loving. It was renamed Philohydor lictor, although it is still referred to as Pitangus lictor in some sources.

Appearance

The Great Kiskadee is a bright and colorful bird. It was named for its distinctive call, not its appearance; its most prominent visual feature is its bright yellow belly, the color of sulfur. Its head is striped in black and white, with a white chin, thick black eye line, thick white superciliary line, and black on its crown. Those crown feathers hide a secret, though: beneath the black feathers lies a bright yellow crest. The Great Kiskadee raises the yellow feathers up and to the sides when it is agitated.

This bird has rich, reddish-brown or rufous-colored feathers on its back, wings, and tail. Its feet are shiny and black, and its black beak is short and stout. The bird is often described as blocky or stout. It has a large head and a thick neck, and it is one of the largest of the Tyrannidae family of flycatchers. Males and females look similar.  

Behavior

The Great Kiskadee is not a migratory bird. It is a permanent resident throughout its range and is known to fight aggressively to maintain its territory. Both males and females defend their nests, and although the male does not incubate the eggs or brood the nestlings, he is known to stay close by and actively defend against predators when the female is on the nest.

This bird is notably adaptable, making its home in a wide variety of habitats. It does not seem to shy away from living in urban areas near human populations. On the contrary, it has been known to take advantage of its proximity to people, finding new food sources and places to build its nests.  

Pairs of Great Kiskadees take several days to make their nest, which they build from dried grasses and other found fibers. They never reuse an old nest, but they may tear it apart for building materials. They are just as likely to tear apart the nests of other birds in or around their territory, too.  

Diet

Great Kiskadees are agile hunters, in the air, on the ground, and over the water. As flycatchers, their primary prey is, of course, insects. They catch flying insects of all types in mid-air and can also catch other birds and even bats on the wing. They prey on lizards, mice, and terrestrial insects and other invertebrates. Great Kiskadees also catch frogs and fish straight from the water like kingfishers. They have even been seen snatching prey directly from other birds, such as the Little Blue Heron.

These omnivorous birds are opportunistic feeders. They dine on berries, fruits, and seeds, sometimes directly from people’s gardens. The birds also sometimes steal food from dogs’ bowls. They steal eggs out of other birds’ nests, including those of other kiskadees. In short, if they can eat it, they likely will.  

Reproduction

Great Kiskadees form monogamous pairs. They build their nests together, usually about 3 to 10 meters up in trees. They make their dome-shaped nests of dried grass and other found fibers, with a side entrance. Once the nest is complete, the female lays between 2 and 5 eggs and incubates them on her own. The male stays nearby, aggressively guarding the nest and defending the territory throughout the incubation and brooding periods.

The Great Kiskadee has an average of 1 to 2 broods per year. Incubation takes between 13 and 15 days, and the juveniles fledge about 17 to 18 days later. Both parents tend to the nestlings, feeding them mostly insects and small frogs.

Predators

The coral snake is the most common predator of the Great Kiskadee. Interestingly, researchers found that the bird recognizes and avoids the color patterns of the coral snake without having encountered the snakes before. Mammalian predators, including primates like the marmoset, prey on Great Kiskadees at the nest. So do other types of snakes and lizards. Hawks or owls may also make attempts on the nest. However, the Great Kiskadee is a formidable opponent in the air with its high maneuverability and aggressive nature.

Lifespan of the Great Kiskadee

Researchers know little about the specifics of the Great Kiskadee life cycle after fledglings leave the nest. The longest living specimen on record, though, lived at least 6 years, 11 months. With relatively few predators and an increasing population and range, the threats to Great Kiskadees are presumably low. One known threat, however, is pollution. A 2009 study in Argentina found that Great Kiskadees living around a lake with high levels of heavy metal pollution had toxic levels of lead and cadmium in their organs. As fish-eating predators that live near waterways, kiskadees would likely be vulnerable to any kind of pollutant that can accumulate in bodily tissues.

A Cautionary Tale

Scientists introduced the Great Kiskadee on the island of Bermuda in 1957. Its purpose was to reduce the population of another introduced species, the anole lizard. Unfortunately, the experiment was a disaster. The highly adaptable kiskadee showed a preference for other available food sources, including the eggs of native songbirds and vulnerable insect populations. The timing of the Great Kiskadee’s introduction on the island coincided with the extinction of the Bermuda cicada, also in the 1950s. Some believe predation by this bird may have been a contributing factor.