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How to Identify Scissor-Tail Fly Catchers

Also known as the Texas bird-of-paradise, the scissor-tail fly catcher is often spotted sitting on a fence. Another common name for this bird is the swallow-tailed fly catcher. Nesting as far north as Kansas, the scissor-tail fly catcher makes its winter home in the Florida Keys, Costa Rico and southern Mexico. Here are a few tips to help you identify the scissor-tail fly catcher.

Instructions

- 1
  Scope out the nearest fence post. Perched on a fence or fence post is where you are more likely to see the scissor-tail fly catcher, it's one of his favorite rest stops. This bird is classified as a perching bird. The scissor-tail fly catcher prefers an open habitat and is often seen close to fields.
- 2
  Look for an extra long tail on the scissor-tail fly catcher to help identify it. The tail of the male bird is longer than the females. The total length of the bird from beak to tail is about 13 inches, half of which is made up of tail. Young birds and molting adults do not have the long tail and can be confused with kingbirds.
- 3
  Watch the bird in flight and observe the long tail. While in flight, the scissor-tail fly catcher's tail feathers are split and resemble a scissor or swallow-tail.
- 4
  Observe large communities of roosting birds. The scissor tail fly catcher likes to roost in communities of about 300 birds with some communities as high as 1,000 birds. This community roosting is common to the fly catcher just before migration starts.
- 5
  Grab your binoculars to look for the coloring of the scissor-tail fly catcher, as both males and females are similar in coloring. The tail of this bird is black with white outer tail feathers, the head and back are pale gray and the legs are black. The belly and under-parts are white with a salmon pink tinge.

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