Couch's Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird has surged: up 12× on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Couch's Kingbird
The Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii) is a North American member of the Tyrant Flycatchers (Tyrannidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the aerial insectivores.
- Size
- 4.5–9 in long (12–23 cm) — a small to medium flycatcher (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open airspace over fields, water and towns; nests in cavities, earthen banks or on structures.
- Diet
- Flying insects caught on the wing.
- Range
- Recorded on 51 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 1 state, most concentrated in the Tamaulipan Brushlands.
- Family
- Tyrannidae · Aerial insectivores
Notable Couch's Kingbird Trends
No notable trend signals for Couch's Kingbird. See the full index history below.
Couch's Kingbird Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Couch's Kingbird is projected to fall about 14% by 2029 — from 0.06 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.06 (95% range 0.04–0.07). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±31%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.07 |
| 2026 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.07 |
| 2027 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.07 |
| 2028 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.07 |
| 2029 | 0.06 | 0.04 | 0.07 |
Where the Couch's Kingbird Is Detected
BBS routes recording Couch's Kingbird, sized by most recent count.
Couch's Kingbird Population Trend by State
| Texas | +852% | 1969 | 51 |
Couch's Kingbird Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Oaks and Prairies | +940% | 1995 | 6 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | +509% | 1969 | 28 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | 18× | 1979 | 12 |
Couch's Kingbird Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 1129% since 1969. Aerial insectivores have fallen sharply across the continent, a decline widely linked to dwindling insect prey.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.