Great Kiskadee /luis bienteveo (Pitangus sulphuratus)
Voice: call is a loud raucous “HICK-wurr” or “meeee,” sometimes preceding an excitable “ Cris-to-pher” or “Kis-ka-dee.”
Habitat: Great Kiskadee can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including woodlands, forest edges, brushy water courses, and urban areas.
Best Spots: All Valley refuges, including riparian woodlands along the Rio Grande from Sabal Palm Grove to Falcon Dam; also found locally on South Padre Island in the vicinity of Retama St (near the bayshore). Also commonly seen at World Birding Center's Arroyo Colorado in Harlingen.
Similar Species: Great Kiskadee is unmistakable and can be confused with no other species in South Texas. There are two kiskadee look-alikes, Boat-billed Flycatchers (180 Miles south of the Texas-Mexico Border), and the Social Flycatcher (found at Bentsen in February 2005), both are potential vagrants to the area.
A speaker symbol next to the bird indicates that it has a sound file available.All Bird call recordings © John C. Arvin.
Call (956) 584-2731 to hear or submit an alert.
- Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley (Mission)
- Edinburg Scenic Wetlands
- Estero Llano Grande (Weslaco)
- Harlingen Arroyo Colorado
- Old Hidalgo Pumphouse
- Quinta Mazatlan (McAllen)
- Resaca de la Palma (Brownsville)
- Roma Bluffs
- South Padre Island Birding
and Nature Center
Welcome to a birder’s eye view of the seasons in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Enjoy our annual cycle! The resulting avifauna in deep South Texas is the most diverse north of the Mexican border. The four county area that makes up the lower Rio Grande Valley has recorded over 500 species of birds. This is more species of birds than have been recorded in all but two or three entire states. Small wonder that birders from across the continent make pilgrimages to the region. Happy Birding!
A "Bird Checklist" is a complete list of birds that have been seen or heard in a specific region like Texas or the Rio Grande Valley. Checklists can be used as a personal diary of your travels.
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