Scissor-tail Flycatcher
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher has a descriptive name that tells you the major things about it. They eat insects, like flies, and have long tails with two parts like scissors. The tail of the male is twice as long as his body.
The great thing about this bird is how it captures the insects. It catches them by flying through the air and snatching bugs with its mouth. I see them most often along country roads, hunting and doing battle with a grasshopper or a dragonfly. They can hang in mid-air like a helicopter and twist and turn in all different directions to snag their prey. Their long split-tail helps them make crazy aerial maneuvers.
I know spring is here when I see the first Scissor-tails show up around May. They stay all summer and then head back to Mexico for the winter. I wonder what language they speak, Spanish or English?
