Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed flycatcher prefer grassland habitats with a few scattered trees and are known for hanging out along fencerows where there are a few trees.  They are distinctive birds with very long outer tail feathers. The tails of males are longer than females. They have a pearly gray head and upper parts and their sides and belly are a salmon-pink color. 

Scissor-tailed flycatchers often are seen on open prairies dotted with trees and along tree-lined country roads. They also appear in open country around ranches and even in small towns, where they perch on telephone lines, flagpoles and fences. In rural areas, the birds will perch for hours along roadsides on fences, limbs and isolated trees. 

During flight the bird opens and closes its tail like a pair of scissors and folds the "scissors" when perching.  While many birds are so similar and certain identification is sometimes hard, the scissor-tailed flycatcher will even catch the eye of people who think they care nothing about birds.  With it's salmon-colored sides and a forked tail that can easily grow to 9 inches long, this is truly a beautiful bird.