# Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (*Tyrannus forficatus*) The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is a beautiful bird with long, forked tail feathers. They love to catch insects in the air and can often be seen perched on fences or wires. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 13 - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Scissor-tail ![Scissor-tailed Flycatcher](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Scissor-tailed_Flycatcher_RWD7.jpg&width=800) Photo: DickDaniels ( http://theworldbirds.org/ ), CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scissor-tailed_Flycatcher_RWD7.jpg) ## Appearance The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher has a sleek white and gray body, with salmon-pink flanks and underwing linings. Its most distinctive feature is its incredibly long, deeply forked black tail, which can be twice the length of its body. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Tyrannidae - **Genus:** Tyrannus ## Interesting facts - Sometimes, they pluck insects right from spiderwebs! - Their tails can grow almost twice as long as their bodies! - These birds migrate over 3,000 kilometers every year! - They bravely chase away much bigger birds of prey! ## Special abilities - **Aerial Acrobatics:** Scissor-tailed Flycatcher can perform mid-air flips and dives because of its long tail, helping them snatch insects on the wing. - **Tail Rudder Power:** Scissor-tailed Flycatcher has a super-long forked tail that helps them steer precisely while chasing down fast-flying prey. - **Migration Marathoner:** Scissor-tailed Flycatcher can fly thousands of kilometers each year, thanks to its efficient wing shape, to find warm winter homes. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 30-40 cm - **Wingspan:** 38-41 cm - **Weight:** 0.035-0.05 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-8 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-6 - **Incubation:** 14-20 days - **Migration Distance:** 3500 km ## Diet & Feeding These birds are bug-eating experts, zipping through the air to catch flying insects! - **Primary Foods:** flies, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, moths, dragonflies - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** House Fly (*Musca domestica*) — Primary prey item, caught in flight. - **Hunts:** American Grasshopper (*Schistocerca americana*) — Eats many types of large insects like grasshoppers. - **Eaten by:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — Large birds of prey occasionally hunt flycatchers. - **Shelter:** [Southern Live Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/southern-live-oak) (*Quercus virginiana*) — Nests are often built in the branches of oak trees. - **Parasitizes:** [Brown-headed Cowbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-headed-cowbird) (*Molothrus ater*) — Known host of parasitic cowbird eggs. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Scissor-tailed Flycatcher? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Scissor-tailed Flycatcher? 30-40 cm ### What is Scissor-tailed Flycatcher's wingspan? 38-41 cm ### How much does Scissor-tailed Flycatcher weigh? 0.035-0.05 kg ### How long does Scissor-tailed Flycatcher live? 2-8 years ### How fast can Scissor-tailed Flycatcher move? 45 km/h ### What does Scissor-tailed Flycatcher eat? These birds are bug-eating experts, zipping through the air to catch flying insects! ### Where is Scissor-tailed Flycatcher usually found? Grasslands ## Where to spot - [Pennellville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pennellville-historic-district) — Maine, US · Historic District - [Shackelford County Courthouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shackelford-county-courthouse-historic-district) — Texas, US · Historic District - [Abilene Zoological Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/abilene-zoological-gardens) — Texas, US · Zoo - [Oklahoma Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/oklahoma-aquarium) — Oklahoma, US · Zoo - [Brattonsville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brattonsville-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Bricktown](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bricktown) — Oklahoma, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see Scissor-tailed Flycatcher](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/scissor-tailed-flycatcher) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/scissor-tailed-flycatcher)