Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus), southeast of Whitewater Draw on Bagby Road, Cochise County

This Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was discovered and photographed by Chris Benesh on 09 August 2011.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is a causal migrant and summer visitor to Arizona. It has nested twice, once a pair was found nest building near Dudleyville and once in Camp Verde where one mated with Western Kingbird and produced hybrid young.

Adult Scissor-tailed Flycatcher shares its long tail only with Fork-tailed Flycatcher.  Fork-tailed Flycatcher is very different in appearance, very rare in North America generally and is unrecorded in Arizona. Occasionally, molting kingbirds with missing central tail feathers are mistaken for immature Scissor-tailed Flycatchers.  Kingbirds have darker heads, yellower breasts and lack the black and white tail pattern of all ages of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. 

09 August 2011, photo by Chris Benesh

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