Date: 5/5/26 2:32 pm From: K Sain <saink745...> Subject: Re: Western Kingbirds (males fighting)
Ken,
I checked two known Western Kingbird nest sites on KU campus in Lawrence a
few days ago and didn’t see or hear them so I’ll check again. After reading
your note about a return to the same “metal bracket” in Hays, I looked at
allaboutbirds.org’s range map showing their winter range to estimate how
far they travel to get to sites in Kansas. Using Google Maps to measure
distance straight south of Hays to a random spot in southern Mexico where
they overwinter gives a sense of just how far they flew to get to that
single metal bracket. And it may be even farther than that. This return by
long distance migrants to a nest site after 6-7 months away is truly
astonishing, an arrival worth celebrating. Best of luck to your nesting
pair!
Kim Sain
Lawrence, KS
On Mon, May 4, 2026 at 8:20 PM Kenneth Kinman <kinman...> wrote:
> Hi All,
> I watched three Western Kingbirds yesterday around the usual
> nesting site (having nested down the alley last year). There were two
> males fighting.
> The two male Western Kingbirds were at first just chasing one
> another, with the female clearly watching them. This aerial sparring then
> turned more vicious. They then clung together as they spiraled down to the
> ground where they vigorously attacked one another. Finally they both flew
> away, and one male then soon returned near to the female on the wire above
> their nesting site. A little later I saw the female inspecting the metal
> bracket upon which the nest is usually built.
> Watched them today just flying out to catch insects. No sign of
> the second male.
> ------Ken Kinman (Hays, Kansas)
>
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