Feeding and nesting ecology of the great kiskadee, Pitangus sulphuratus texanus (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae) in the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas

The foraging and nesting ecology of the Great Kiskadee was studied in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas during 1994 and 1995. Adult kiskadees were found to be omnivorous, feeding mainly on fleshy fruits, fish, and dragonflies, and capturing animal prey mainly by surface gleaning into water or hawking prey out of midair. Nests are constructed mainly during March and April and are built at heights between 6 and 10 meters apparently without preference to tree species. Of 29 nests observed, 66% (19) were active during at least part of the breeding season. Nestlings are fed a diet very similar to that of adults. Great-tailed Grackles, a possible nest predator, were consistently chased out of nesting territories. Other bird species such as the Altamira Oriole were tolerated within kiskadee nesting territories. Aggressiveness, flexibility in nest-site selection, foraging behavior, and diet have all probably contributed to the Great Kiskadee's success in South Texas and other parts of its range.