Tropical Kingbird
Tropical Kingbird has no long-term trend on record.
About the Tropical Kingbird
The Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) 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 10 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 2 states.
- Family
- Tyrannidae · Aerial insectivores
Notable Tropical Kingbird Trends
No notable trend signals for Tropical Kingbird. See the full index history below.
Tropical Kingbird Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Tropical Kingbird is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.00 (95% range 0.00–0.01). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±48%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2026 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2027 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2028 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2029 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
Where the Tropical Kingbird Is Detected
BBS routes recording Tropical Kingbird, sized by most recent count.
Tropical Kingbird Population Trend by State
| Arizona | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Texas | +471% | 2004 | 7 |
Tropical Kingbird Conservation Status
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.