Credit: Don Loarie
North American field guide
Thick-billed Kingbird
Tyrannus crassirostris
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Identification
Field notes
24 cm (9-10") Rare. Southern Arizona (Guadeloupe Canyon), southern California, southwestern New Mexico.
Large kingbird with a very thick bill. Dusky brown upperparts. White throat, pale gray breast, pale yellow on belly and undertail coverts.
Song: loud "puareet".
Details in the field
Photo gallery
Credit: Jerry Oldenettel
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Videos
Thick-billed Kingbird preening
Credit: Stoil IvanovThick-billed Kingbird
Credit: Stoil IvanovBird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant · 1 rule
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
Thick-billed Kingbird
1 ruleRule 1 18 criteria · confidence 1
- What SIZE was the TAIL ?
- Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the TAIL ?
- Square or slightly notched at the end · Rounded at the end · Forked · Unknown
- What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
- None · Unknown
- What colour was the TAIL ?
- Brown, brownish red, cinnamon · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Olive (yellowish-green) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BELLY ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
- Uniform color · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
- What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?
- Light area running up the side of the neck or head · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
- What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
- Yellow · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
- Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized · Pigeon-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Songbird (ground or perching bird)
- WHEN was the bird seen ?
- Spring · Summer · Fall
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Southwestern United States