Giant Kingbird Tyrannus cubensis Scientific name definitions

The Giant Kingbird is, as its name implies, a large kingbird species found in Cuba and the Isle of Youth. Boldly patterned, it is dark above, with a blackish head and dark gray upperparts, and entirely white below, with a narrow whitish terminal tail band. It has a broad diet, which includes insects, but also a variety of fruits, which make up a relatively large proportion of its diet. A resident species, it defends a relatively large territory that it occupies throughout the year. Nests are open cup nests that are usually placed high up in tall trees, and both the male and female help to raise the young.

The Giant Kingbird was considered common in Cuba in the 1800s, according to the German naturalist J. C. Gundlach (1 Gundlach, J. C. (1866). Revista y catalogo de las aves Cubanas. Repertorio Físico Natural de la Isla de Cuba 1:221-242 Close , 2 Gundlach, J. C. (1876). Contribuciones a la Ornitología Cubana. Imprenta “La Antilla,” La Habana, Cuba. Close ), although presently it is listed as Endangered. The species once also inhabited the southern islands of the Lucayan archipelago (Great Inagua and Caicos), and fossils found in the northern Bahamas (Abaco and New Providence Islands) during the Pleistocene also indicate a wider past distribution. Following this species’ presumed extirpation in other parts of the range, some authors consider Giant Kingbird endemic to mainland Cuba and the Isle of Youth (Isla de la Juventud, formerly known as the Isle of Pines or Isla de Pinos), while others consider it a near endemic species that is currently restricted to Cuba. It is thought that fewer than 1,000 individuals remain. However, recent records suggest that populations are small and patchy, but more widespread than previously thought, and population estimates should be reevaluated. This bird inhabits a range of habitats, provided there are suitable tall trees in which to nest and forage.