Of ALL the birds in the world, the kiskadee is my absolute favorite. I recall the Republic Reader that we had to read for school contained a poem about the kiskadee by Olga Comma-Maynard. Here is a snippet:
I know you by your yellow vest
You little keskidee
That suits so well that clean brown coat
That cling so close to thee
The little ring upon your head
That forms a little hat
Why if you stood with all the other birds
I would know you just by that
The Great Kiskadee is the coolest bird ever and I’m thankful that I get to see them every day. As a matter of fact, as I write this post, a few of them are outside my window being their noisy, beautiful selves.
Image: The Great Kiskadee © Ian Davies
🐦 The Great Kiskadee is named after it’s 3 syllable call. They’re one of the largest – and not to mention boisterous – members of the tyrant flycatcher family.
🐦 Kiskadees are known for their bold behavior like a Jay and can be quite cunning. They’re known to chase larger animals (such as snakes and monkeys) that attempt to raid their nests.
Image: Greater Kiskadee by Ken Archer
🐦 Kiskadees are natural adapters. Despite environmental changes, they can survive on a variety of food. However, they’re not too fond of mangoes, but will indulge in ripe bananas.
🐦 Although it’s the best known bird here (Trinidad), it is not normally found in the sister isle of Tobago.
Image: Great Kiskadee in a Fedora by mainandvine.com
🐦 Kiskadees are monogamous, meaning that they only have one mate.
The call of the kiskadee is loud and vivacious. They always seem to be asking “Où est-tu?” (French for “Where are you?”). Here is a video by Birdfun in which you can clearly hear the bird’s beautiful call.
Images: Pinterest; Google Search
Reference/s: allaboutbirds.org; ttnaturelink.com; YouTube
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