King of the East

The Eastern Kingbird has long been a favorite of mine.  What would one expect?  After all, kingbird is part of the name of my company, although the Eastern Kingbird is not the logo bird. 

Yet, having said that, this species still captures my attention.  You will find it from the east coast into the Rockies.  Maybe, its name is a little misleading.  Or not.  Its cousin the Western Kingbird is expected from the Pacific coast to the middle of the country.  BTW, the Western kingbird is the logo bird.

Actually, flycatchers as a group are fascinating because of their behavior.  Typically, you will find them perched waiting.  All of the sudden, they dart out a short distance, capture some aerial insect and head right back where they were perched.

The Eastern has wonderful coloration for being black and white.  Noticeable is the tail which seems to be as if it were barely dipped in white paint.  Even more curious to me, at least, is the outer edge of its feathers.  It would appear as if someone took a small paintbrush and lined the edge with a small amount of white paint.

And if you are going to be a king, you need a crown, and this one has one, although you hardly ever see it.