Oklahoma's Tropical Ambassador
The Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

From its long tail to its famous "sky dance," no other Oklahoma bird is more striking and identifiable than the scissor-tailed flycatcher. No wonder the State Legislature adopted the scissortail as the state bird May 26, 1951, after school children discovered enormous support from garden clubs and Audubon Society chapters. The selection is even more special because none of the other seven states in which scissortails nest have named it as their state bird. 

The scissor-tailed flycatcher is known by other names as well scissortail, Texas bird-of-paradise and swallow- tailed flycatcher. It is obvious how the bird acquired its common names, but its former Latin name -Muscivora forficata -describes the bird in even grander terms. Muscivora derives from the Latin word for "fly" (musca) and "to devour" (vorare), while Forficata comes from forfex, or scissors. The scissortail now is a member of the genus Tyrannus, or "tyrant-like flycatchers." This genus earned its name because several species are extremely aggressive on their breeding territories, where they will attack larger birds such as crows, hawks and owls. 

Cutting a Path for Themselves 

Scissor-tailed flycatchers are easily identified by their long, scissor-like tail, which may reach nine inches in length. During flight, the bird opens and shuts its taillike a pair of scissors and folds or closes the "scissors" when perching. Since the bird is only 11-15 inches long, its tail is proportionately longer than any other Oklahoma bird. 

The nape of the scissortail 's neck and its back are pearl gray, and the breast is white. Wings are sooty black with a touch of scarlet at the shoulders while the sides and wing linings are pink. Females usually are shorter than males because her tail is not as long. Immature birds resemble adults, but their tail is shorter and only slightly forked. 

Scissortails utter a kingbird-Iike twittering while flying, clucking and chattering erratically. Their call sounds like "cah-key ...cah-key ...CAH-KEY." 

From the Tropics to Tulsa 

Scissor-tailed flycatchers are considered Neotropical migrants-birds that spend their winters in Central and South America, returning to North America to nest and raise young. As a rule, scissortails are seen in Oklahoma from early April to late October, though individuals occasionally are seen during the last week of March and some birds linger until mid-November. 

The scissortail is one of the earliest summer birds to arrive each spring. Across most of the state, Oklahomans can begin looking for them during the first week in April. Their limited nesting range is primarily concentrated in the southern Great Plains states, from New Mexico to Louisiana and Nebraska southward to southern Texas and adjoining areas' of northern Mexico. However, the birds have wandered as far north as Hudson Bay, as far east as New Brunswick, and as far west as Colorado. 

In late August, after the breeding season, scissor-tailed flycatchers begin gathering in the evenings in roost trees. The number of birds at these roosts increases gradually until they peak in late September. More than 1,000 birds may gather at a roost; however, most contain between 100 and 300 birds. The birds fan out in all directions from the roost to search for food during the day, returning just before dusk. During the breeding season, males also leave the nest tree at dusk to join other males and unmated females at a common roost tree, returning to the nest the following morning. 

Roosts most often are located in mature trees in isolated groves along streams or occasionally in towns. They often are used for several years in succession, with some roosts known to be used in excess of 20 years. During October, the number of birds returning to the roosts gradually drops as the scissortails begin their fall migration. 

Like most songbirds, scissortails migrate at night. The daylight hours are spent resting and feeding to build the fat reserves that will sustain them during the next night's flight. However, it is still unclear whether scissor-tailed flycatchers migrate individually or in small flocks. 

The birds winter in the southern half of Florida and the Florida Keys, in south Texas, Mexico and Central America. The birds are common winter visitors to Guatemala at altitudes under 5,000 feet. 

The World of Scissortails 

In Oklahoma, scissortails 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. 

From these perches, the birds will suddenly dart out into the air in pursuit of flying insects such as bees and wasps, or drop to the ground to capture grasshoppers and spiders in the grass. Scissortails are economically important because their diet is largely composed of agriculturally harmful insects. They consume a greater proportion of grasshoppers, crickets and other ground-dwelling insects than any other Oklahoma flycatcher. At times, grasshoppers may comprise more than 50 percent of their diet. Flycatchers are unable to digest the wings, legs and other hard body parts of their insect prey and periodically regurgitate these items as a small pellet. Some small fruits and berries also are eaten, especially in winter. 

Soon after the birds arrive in the state, males begin their famous "sky dance," a popular sight along roadsides during spring and early summer. This elaborate courtship display is performed by the male to attract the attention of potential mates. After climbing to about 100 feet in the air, the male makes a series of V -shaped flights. He soars rapidly up through the air and then plunges down in an erratic, zig-zag course while uttering a rolling, cackling call. His graceful actions are further accentuated by his long, flowing tail. This performance has been described as "an aerial ballet of incomparable grace" and may be performed all through the summer. 

When courtship is over, the female constructs a bulky, cup-like nest from 7-30 feet above ground on a horizontal limb or fork. Isolated trees often are used for nests, including hackberry , mesquite, elm, oak and orchard trees. Nests also are built on windmill towers and the crossbars of utility poles. The 4 1/2- to 6-inch diameter nest is formed of weed stems and cotton, and is lined with rootlets, horsehair and other soft materials. 

Nesting behavior follows that of most songbirds. Only one egg is laid each day, usually during the morning, and the female will not begin incubating until the last egg of her clutch is laid. She lays four to six eggs, often raising two broods during the summer. Eggs are cream-white with some spots and brown blotches. 

Incubation activities are conducted solely by the female, although the male may occasionally sit over the eggs to hide them or protect them when the female is off the nest. The male scissortail's primary duties are to guard the territory from intruders and predators and to catch food, which he brings to the incubating female. 

The female develops a brood patch on her breast during the breeding season. This patch is devoid of feathers and allows for a more efficient transfer of the female's body heat to the eggs. After an incubation period of 12-14 days, the eggs hatch. The young scissortails grow rapidly and are ready to leave the nest after another 14 days. Shortly after the first brood leaves the nest, the female will build a second nest and lay a new clutch of eggs while the male tends to the fledglings from the first nest. 
Young scissortails remain in their parents' territory for an additional two to three weeks after leaving the nest, when they learn to hunt for food. The young can be identified because tails tend to be shorter than the adults, during the first summer. When they first leave the nest, their tail feathers are not much longer than those of other flycatchers and the young closely resemble Western king- birds. 

Threats to Existence 

Once the young scissor-tailed flycatchers leave the nest, they face a variety of challenges ranging from natural predators to human disturbance. In Oklahoma, poachers sometimes kill scissortails for their tail feathers. Wildlife law enforcement officials recently arrested 50 people who had either killed or sold federally protected birds, including scissortails. The scissortail feathers were being used to make peyote fans, an item used in Native American religious ceremonies. It takes nearly 80 scissortail feathers to make one fan, and some biologists speculate that poaching these birds has caused declines in some local populations. 

An even more serious threat to scissortails than poaching, however, is loss of habitat. Scissortails prefer grassland habitats with a few scattered trees. When trees are removed from pastures and meadows, the scissortails lose their nesting sites and places to perch while hunting for grasshoppers and other insects. The scattered trees grow- ing along fence rows are another favorite place for scissor tails. When the trees are cleared from these fencelines or when the fencelines themselves are removed, the scissortails lose more habitat. 

Due to habitat destruction in North America and in the rainforests of Central and South America, populations of many of our Neotropical migrants are decreasing. Unless we reverse the negative impact humans are having on habitat and the species that depend on it, many of our songbirds- including the scissor-tailed flycatcher- face dire consequences. 

Assisting Neotropical Migrants 

If you witness or suspect someone is killing scissortails, migratory songbirds, eagles or other protected wildlife, contact your local game warden or call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-522-8039 to report illegal activities. You also can contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offices in Oklahoma City (405/231-5251) and Tulsa (918/ 581-7469). 

If your property includes a large, open lawn, pasture or fenceline through a grassy field, you can manage your area for scissor-tailed flycatchers. You can make your property more attractive to them by planting and maintaining scattered shade trees such as elm, pecan, hackberry, chittamwood, oak, mesquite, locust, Osage orange or persimmon. Also, leave small trees along fence rows in grassy habitats. 

Another way to assist scissortails and other Neotropical migrants is by informing others about the hardships these birds face from illegal poaching and habitat destruction. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation offers several informational aids for this purpose: 
• Attracting Birds to Your Backyard (I hr.) -VHS
• Birds and Migration (18 min.) -16 mm film 
• Scissortail, Our State Bird (15 min.) -16 mm film 

Nongame Outdoor Store purchases support the Nongame Wildlife Program and also educate the public: 
• Birds of North America -full-color field guide ($11, $10 plus $1 p&h) 
• Posters: Scissortail ($2), Nesting Birds ($1). Add $1 for flat poster. 
These parties assisted in the production of this brochure to help inform the public about threats facing scissortailed flycatchers and other Neotropical migrants: 

Search for the Scissortail 

The public also can help Neotropical migrants by "searching for the scissortail" on the state tax form and on Wildlife Conservation License Plates and donating to the Nongame Wildlife Program. Contributions from these sources aid the Oklahoma Nongame Program, which is responsible for managing more than 800 species of wildlife that aren't fished for, hunted or trapped. These include songbirds, reptiles, amphibians and some mammals and fish. Certain species are listed as endangered or threatened. 

A major concern of the Nongame Program is the apparent decline in populations of Neotropical migrants such as Bell's vireo, yellow-billed cuckoo, painted bunting and the endangered black-capped vireo. The Nongame Program hopes to raise the public's awareness of the decline of these and other species. 

The Nongame Tax Check-off on the state tax form is located next to a picture of a scissortail (shown above). People receiving refunds can donate any amount of their tax refund to the Nongame Program. Even if they don't receive a refund, people can assist in protecting Neotropical songbirds by mailing a donation to: Nongame Wildlife Program, 1801 N. Lincoln, Oklahoma City, OK 73105. People donating $10 or more will receive a special wildlife- related gift. 

The colorful Wildlife Conservation License Plates cost an additional $25, with $20 going to the Nongame Program, and function as the regular car tag on the rear of the vehicle. Two plate designs are available featuring a scissor-tailed flycatcher and a white-tailed deer. The plates can be personalized at no extra cost and application forms are available at tag agencies statewide or from the Nongame Program. 

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, P.O. Box 53465 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 (405) 521-3853