Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Archives - Window to Wildlife

It was a fun time photographing this rare bird, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Being in Racine, this male is far from its normal range, Nebraska and south. It has been visiting the area of Shoop Park Golf Course beach area there. This bird put on a great show and I found out watching it, appeared it was eating dead insects such as Milkweed Beetle, Lady Bugs, Hornets and Stink Bugs to name a few on the beach. It would typically perch for a awhile in nearby trees and then eat for awhile, then repeat. What a stunning bird!! It was a mostly cloudy day with a light breeze and temps around 40 degrees. Images were taken on April 27, 2022.

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, male

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher with a possible stink bug…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at takeoff…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher perched in a tree resting…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher taking off…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher going for an insect…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher with a Lady Bug…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher perched pretty…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher going for another insect…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher coming in for a landing, spotting another insect…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher resting…

(Series photo #1) Scissor-tailed Flycatcher coming in for an insect

(Photo#2) Scissor-tailed Flycatcher coming in for an insect

(Photo #3) Scissor-tailed Flycatcher coming in for an insect

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher coming in…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher coming in…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on to another insect…

I made a run early morning down to the Milwaukee Coast Guard Impoundment with hopes to see the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher that was reported yesterday. This uncommon bird for Wisconsin is a common bird in the state of Kansas and south to southern Texas in summer. A few other birders also showed up as the sun came up. We sort of split up after a couple minutes and moments later James F. had located the bird just north of the large wind turbine on a wire. From there the bird pretty much continually forged and ate insects for the few hours I was there in a loop of a freeway ramp. It mainly remained a distance off, but we all really enjoyed the show it put on every time it went for an insect. At the end, it took flight over some tracks and headed south to who knows. It was said today, this is a male bird by the length of the tail, it is very long. One dog walker asked what bird we were looking at, we showed her on the camera and her remark was, that bird was here last year same time. I could not ID it she said, but it had that big long tail! A fun morning out with some great birders and friends. Not a life bird for me as I got the one in Mequon a couple years back. Thanks to Karen M for finding this bird on a routine check in the area and reporting it for others to see. Images were taken on October 25, 2015.