Quick identification
Great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus)
A large flycatcher with a black-and-white striped head, bright yellow belly, rusty wings and a loud kis-ka-dee call.
Season and local range: Nearby Lower Rio Grande Valley resident; possible island visitor.
Habitat and island setting
Wooded water edges, resacas, parks and urban greenery, mostly on the mainland.
Where to look
Port Isabel and mainland birding sites offer more reliable habitat; island migrant patches can occasionally attract wandering birds. Birds may move as tides, wind, fronts, water levels and activity at the site change.
What the bird is doing
Kiskadees catch insects, fruit and small aquatic prey. Identify by voice and proportions, then note the exact locality rather than treating every Valley record as an SPI record.
Watching birds
Use binoculars or a camera zoom, stay on public paths and leave feeding, resting and nesting birds enough room to continue normal behavior. If a bird stops feeding, stands alert, calls repeatedly or moves away because of you, increase the distance. Check access information in the South Padre Island birding guide before making a special trip.