{"id":105192,"date":"2022-08-20T03:32:02","date_gmt":"2022-08-20T09:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=105192"},"modified":"2022-08-20T04:38:29","modified_gmt":"2022-08-20T10:38:29","slug":"young-western-kingbird-in-the-west-desert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/08\/20\/young-western-kingbird-in-the-west-desert\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Western Kingbird In The West Desert"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"YoungYoung Western Kingbird after eating a bug \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

While I was out exploring in the West Desert three days ago I spotted this young Western Kingbird perched on a barbed wire fence close to the road. After quickly pulling over I was able to lock onto the kingbird right after it ate a bug. This image shows the young kingbird swallowing the insect with nothing but the sky behind it.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Western Kingbird in the West Desert \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

A few moments later I moved my Jeep forward to get some of the sky island mountain foothills behind the immature kingbird. I wasn’t enthusiastic about the plain blue sky in the previous frames that I had taken.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Western Kingbird in a desert \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This young Western Kingbird was using the fence as a spotting location for the insects they were hunting both on the ground and in the air. Not long after I took this photo the kingbird lifted off and caught something in the air.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Western Kingbird looking over desert foothills \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When I moved forward to continue photographing the immature bird I had dried grasses in the background of these frames and the distant foothills. The kingbird seemed unconcerned about my presence as it looked around for more prey to capture and consume.<\/p>\n

\"WestWest Desert immature Western Kingbird \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

After a few minutes another young kingbird flew in and chased this one off the barbed wire perch. I was delighted to have the young Western Kingbird<\/span><\/a> in my viewfinder for as long as I did.<\/p>\n

I’ve been avoiding locations where I typically have better chances of seeing this species because of deer flies. I am so severely allergic to their bites that I am deeply concerned about being bitten again especially when I am alone.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Western Kingbird photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While I was out exploring in the West Desert three days ago I spotted this young Western Kingbird perched on a barbed wire fence close to the road.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":105190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,358,26,1314,534],"tags":[4430,4943,4098,4286,7017,4067,3791,3772,4104,10452,2315,4183,298,4411,4193],"class_list":["post-105192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-tooele-county","category-utah","category-west-desert-utah","category-western-kingbirds","tag-barbed-wire","tag-bug","tag-desert","tag-eating","tag-foothills","tag-immature","tag-kingbird","tag-kingbirds","tag-perched","tag-sky-island-mountains","tag-summer-3","tag-tyrannus-verticalis","tag-tyrant-flycatchers-2","tag-western-kingbird","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/western-kingbird-immature-mia-mcpherson-5796.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-rmE","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5322,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/07\/11\/western-kingbird-on-barbed-wire\/","url_meta":{"origin":105192,"position":0},"title":"Western Kingbird On Barbed Wire","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 11, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Western Kingbirds appear to have had a wonderful nesting season here in Utah because there are plenty of young birds perching on wires and branches loudly demanding food from the frazzled looking adults.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bear River MBR Western Kingbird on barbed wire, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-mia-mcpherson-4582.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-mia-mcpherson-4582.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-mia-mcpherson-4582.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-mia-mcpherson-4582.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":89541,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/05\/31\/recent-birds-ive-found-in-the-west-desert\/","url_meta":{"origin":105192,"position":1},"title":"Recent Birds I’ve Found In The West Desert","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 31, 2021","format":"chat","excerpt":"Last week I made two trips out to the West Desert and today I am sharing a medley of recent birds that I found while I was out there.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Red-tailed Hawk basking in the warmth of the morning sun, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-basking-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-2040.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-basking-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-2040.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-basking-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-2040.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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opportunity to photograph juvenile Western Kingbirds but last week I did at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Box Elder County.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Western Kingbird juvenile on a barbed wire perch, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-young-mia-mcpherson-0064.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-young-mia-mcpherson-0064.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-young-mia-mcpherson-0064.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-young-mia-mcpherson-0064.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39583,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/05\/19\/western-kingbird-with-a-hint-of-black-mustard\/","url_meta":{"origin":105192,"position":4},"title":"Western Kingbird With A Hint Of Black Mustard","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning while in Box Elder County I was delighted to photograph a Western Kingbird with a Hint of Black Mustard in the background as it perched on a fence near the road.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Western Kingbird 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