{"id":143716,"date":"2025-05-09T05:23:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T10:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=143716"},"modified":"2025-05-09T05:41:55","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T10:41:55","slug":"scissor-tailed-flycatcher-on-a-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/05\/09\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-on-a-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Scissor-tailed Flycatcher On A Post"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this week, I was delighted to have an adult Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in my viewfinder for a bit at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

\"Scissor-tailedScissor-tailed Flycatcher perched on a wooden post \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f11, 1\/1250, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Canon RF 800mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

There was a pair of these long-tailed flycatchers at a parking area near a stand of tall, old cottonwood trees. They were mostly looking for insects in the short grasses.<\/p>\n

The Scissor-tailed Flycatchers may nest in the nearby cottonwood trees. If they do, I might have a chance to photograph their young later this summer.<\/p>\n

When I get back to the refuge, I\u2019ll be sure to look for them in the same area again.<\/p>\n

Have you ever seen a bird with a tail so long it looks like a pair of scissors flying through the air? That\u2019s the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher-Oklahoma\u2019s official state bird, and it\u2019s one of the most eye-catching birds in North America.<\/p>\n

These flycatchers are about the size of a robin, but what really sets them apart is that crazy-long, forked tail. When they\u2019re in flight, you can\u2019t miss it-the tail opens and closes like a pair of scissors, which is exactly how they got their name.<\/p>\n

The rest of their look is pretty striking too: soft gray on top, white underneath, with flashes of salmon-pink on their sides and under their wings.<\/p>\n

Scissor-tailed Flycatchers love open spaces-think prairies, ranches, and even roadsides. If you\u2019re driving through breeding range in the spring or summer, keep an eye out for them perched on fences or telephone wires, scanning for insects.<\/p>\n

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher<\/span><\/a> isn\u2019t just the state bird of Oklahoma. It\u2019s a real character. Beautiful and beneficial, it\u2019s a fly-catching stunner on wings!<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Earlier this week, I was delighted to have an adult Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in my viewfinder for a bit at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":143713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_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":""},"categories":[27,13973,15253,13974],"tags":[4004,14190,13984,3808,4884,4104,15256,165,15257,8917],"class_list":["post-143716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-oklahoma","category-scissor-tailed-flycatchers","category-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","tag-adult","tag-bottomland-hardwood-forest","tag-bottomlands","tag-flycatcher","tag-flycatchers","tag-perched","tag-scissor-tailed-flycatcher","tag-spring","tag-tyrannus-forficatus","tag-wooden-post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-1317.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-Bo0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":129764,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/06\/23\/my-best-scissor-tailed-flycatcher-photos-so-far\/","url_meta":{"origin":143716,"position":0},"title":"My Best Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Photos – So Far","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I finally decided to share my best Scissor-tailed Flycatcher photos that I've taken since my move. I created a gallery and hope to get more photos of them soon.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scissor-tailed Flycatcher adult at Sequoyah NWR, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-8876.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-8876.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-8876.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-8876.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":128683,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/05\/23\/spring-eastern-kingbird-photos-from-tishomingo-nwr\/","url_meta":{"origin":143716,"position":1},"title":"Spring Eastern Kingbird Photos From Tishomingo NWR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Since my arrival in Oklahoma, I've had fun taking Eastern Kingbird photos at the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge. 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Egret","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"This landing Cattle Egret is slightly symbolic of my arrival in a new state and seeing the birds and wildlife of Oklahoma right outside my back door every day.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Landing Western Cattle Egret, Marshall County, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/western-cattle-egret-landing-mia-mcpherson-2730.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/western-cattle-egret-landing-mia-mcpherson-2730.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/western-cattle-egret-landing-mia-mcpherson-2730.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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