Appearance
The adult grey kingbird is an average-sized kingbird. It measures 23 cm in length and weighs from 37 to 52 g. The upperparts are gray, with brownish wings and tail, and the underparts are white with a gray tinge to the chest. The head has a concealed yellow crown stripe, and a dusky mask through the eyes. The dark bill is heavier than that of the related, slightly smaller, tropical kingbird. The sexes are similar, but young birds have rufous edges on the wing coverts, rump and tail.
Distribution
It is found in increasing numbers in the state of Florida, and is more often found inland though it had been previously restricted to the coast. The species was first described on the island of Hispaniola, then called Santo Domingo, thus the ''dominicensis'' name.Behavior
The call is a loud rolling trill, ''pipiri pipiri'', which is the reason behind many of its local names, like ''pestigre'' or ''pitirre'', in the Spanish-speaking Greater Antilles, or ''petchary'' in some of the English-speaking zones.Grey kingbirds wait on an exposed perch high in a tree, occasionally sallying out to feed on insects, their staple diet.
Like other kingbirds, these birds aggressively defend their territory against intruders, including mammals and much larger birds such as caracaras, red-tailed hawks and broad-winged hawks.
Habitat
This tyrant flycatcher is found in tall trees and shrubs, including the edges of savanna and marshes. It makes a flimsy cup nest in a tree. The female incubates the typical clutch of two cream eggs, which are marked with reddish brown.References:
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