Eastern Kingbirds also arrive late because the apparently travel to
Washington State via a route north east of the rockies, then west across
the "top." Note how rare they are in California.

Gene Hunn.

On Thu, 8 Jun 1995, Dennis Paulson wrote:

> >But this brings me to Eastern and Western Kingbirds, perhaps you -
> >or the omniscient Dennis - can enlighten me as to these two critters.
> >
> >Down at Malheur, I normally see Eastern Kingbirds hanging out in the
> >willow thickets that border roads through the refuge marshes. Often
> >perched at the top, occasionally engaged in what would appear to
> >be territorial disputes. Got some great looks at a three-way
> >squabble just last week.
> >
> >Normally there aren't any taller willows or cottonwoods around,
> >much less powerline crossbars, so I assume they nest in these
> >willows. They arrive a bit later than Western Kingbirds, and
> >must normally nest a bit later than them as westerns are often
> >on the nest when I'm there, but I've not seen easterns on the
> >nest (I'm always there the week before and after Mem. Day due
> >to teaching an Elderhostel class the week before).
> >
> >You mention Eastern Kingbirds nesting on powerline crossbars,
> >which is much like where I often find Western Kingbird nests:
> >there, or the tops of transformers, or fairly high up in taller
> >willows or cottonwoods 'round the plantation manor house.
> >
> >Perhaps if I got my butt out there in mid-June I'd see for myself
> >where these Easterns that hang out in low willows by the marsh
> >nest. They do seem to be setting up territories, though, so I
> >suspect right along the roadway. In these areas you generally
> >don't find Westerns. They seem to have fairly distinct
> >preferences and I'm curious as to what they are.
>
> I don't know about omniscient, but I do know one or two things about
> kingbirds. Western Kingbirds are definitely characteristic of dry, open
> areas, while Eastern Kingbirds are devoted to the waterside and very
> typically nest in willows, often at a rather low height but almost always
> over the water, where they are about as well protected from predation as a
> Western is high on its crossbar. Most avian predators don't stand a chance
> against a pair of kingbirds! Their habitat types abut sufficiently often
> so that the species can be seen from the same place at many localities. An
> EAKI nest on a utility pole crossbar is a real surprise to me.
>
> Easterns are late arrivers because they winter in the Amazon basin, while
> WEKIs winter in western Mexico.
>
> >Lots of bobolink, too, this year - what's the status of bobolink
> >in eastern WA? They're scattered spottily across eastern Oregon
> >where there's marshy meadow (usually in hay).
> >
> >- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>
>
> BOBOs (it really is fun to use these acronyms) are scattered spottily
> across eastern Washington, mostly in the northern third from the Okanogan
> valley east, pretty much always in hay meadows. Also a good population at
> Toppenish in Yakima County.
>
> Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
> Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
> University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
> Tacoma, WA 98416
>
>
>