Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

This is not a bird I worked on at the Field Museum but an illustration I created to be used as a possible tattoo for a friend. She lives in Kentucky, and I just realized that is not part of their range, although you will find them south in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. I saw one for the first time on a road trip to Austin, TX, and then again in Lawrence, KS. With their dramatic tails, they seem like something that you would be more likely to see in New Guinea with Birds of Paradise, than in the southern US. Tyrant Flycatchers (family Tyrannidae) get their name from their distinctive foraging behavior. They usually fly out from a perch and catch insects midair, and then quickly loop back to the same perch or a different one near by. It's been so busy, so I'm sorry I haven't been updating, but I have a big list for when the schedule clears a bit.