Listen to the great kiskadee
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the great kiskadee
The great kiskadee is a bird in the family Tyrannidae (order Passeriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 74 g.
What does the great kiskadee sound like?
Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
The recordings here are labelled as call, calls and song. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is the only member of the genus Pitangus. It breeds in open woodland with some tall trees, including cultivation and around human habitation. It is found from the extreme southern United States south to Argentina. It was introduced to Bermuda in 1957, and to Tobago in about 1970.
More from the family Tyrannidae
Eastern kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Eastern phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Cliff flycatcher
Hirundinea ferruginea
Yellow-crowned tyrannulet
Tyrannulus elatus
Olive-sided flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
Yellow tyrannulet
Capsiempis flaveola
Masked water tyrant
Fluvicola nengeta
Black phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
Acadian flycatcher
Empidonax virescens
Gray kingbird
Tyrannus dominicensis
Great crested flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Lesser wagtail-tyrant
Stigmatura napensis
Frequently asked questions
What does a great kiskadee sound like?
You can hear 5 recordings of the great kiskadee on this page, including its call, calls and song. Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
Is the great kiskadee endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the great kiskadee as “least concern”.
What family does the great kiskadee belong to?
The great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) belongs to the family Tyrannidae in the order Passeriformes.
Sources & credits
- Calls · Orellana: Laguna Añangu ('Napo Wildlife Center'), s-bank… by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call · Sucumbíos: 'La Selva Jungle Lodge', n bank Río Napo, Ecuador by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call · Orellana: Laguna Añangu ('Napo Wildlife Center'), s-bank… by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- La Pona (29-03-2026)-Luis Bienteveo (Pitangus sulphuratus) by Luisalvaz – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Orellana: right bank of Río Napo near Pompeya, Ecuador by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q202804 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Great kiskadee – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Rhododendrites – CC BY-SA 4.0