Western kingbird

Western kingbird perched on a metal fence post, grey head and bright yellow belly

The western kingbird is the prairie cousin of the eastern kingbird, easy to pick out by its pale grey head, olive back, and bright lemon-yellow belly. Its dark tail has narrow white edges, and like all kingbirds it is bold and noisy when it defends a nest.

Western kingbirds are birds of open country, found in Manitoba mainly on the southern prairies, where they perch on fence posts, wires, and power poles and fly out to catch insects in mid-air. They nest in trees, shrubs, and even on utility poles, and they spend the winter in Mexico and Central America.

To learn more about this bird and its habitat, visit the western kingbird page at All About Birds.

My favourite frame is this one: a kingbird on a fence post, with yellow standing out against a field of grass.

Field notes in photographs

  • Western kingbird perched on a metal fence post, grey head and bright yellow belly

Western kingbird Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the western kingbird in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the western kingbird nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the western kingbird in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Prairies (gold). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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