{"id":175931,"date":"2026-05-15T05:26:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T10:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=175931"},"modified":"2026-05-15T05:26:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T10:26:17","slug":"spring-scissor-tailed-flycatcher-portraits-from-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2026\/05\/15\/spring-scissor-tailed-flycatcher-portraits-from-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Portraits From Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SpringSpring Scissor-tailed Flycatcher portrait \u2013 Canon R7, beanbag, f9, 1\/800, ISO 400, +1.0 EV, Canon RF 100-500mm at 500mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I don’t often have a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher so close to me that I can take portraits of them, so when I do, I’ll jump at the chance. Four days ago, I did.<\/p>\n

I was driving the auto tour loop at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge when I found a very cooperative adult Scissor-tailed Flycatcher perched on one of the parking area signs.<\/p>\n

The sign is ugly, but the sky was bright and beautiful. I opted for taking close up portraits. Especially since the flycatcher seemed comfortable with me photographing them while using my vehicle as a mobile blind.<\/p>\n

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher called several times, probably for their mate, who was in a tall, old cottonwood tree near the parking area.<\/p>\n

\"Scissor-tailedScissor-tailed Flycatcher close up in spring \u2013 Canon R7, beanbag, f9, 1\/1000, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Canon RF 100-500mm at 500mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I haven’t gotten my dream photos of this flycatcher species in flight. Still, I was delighted to get these close-up portraits of this bird.<\/p>\n

I took photos of this Scissor-tailed Flycatcher<\/span><\/a> until it lifted off because one of the refuge staff trucks drove by. These portraits were an unexpected and delightful treat.<\/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":"

I don’t often have a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher so close to me that I can take portraits of them, so when I do, I’ll jump at the chance. Four days ago, I did.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":175926,"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":[27,13973,15253,13974],"tags":[4004,13984,4142,3808,4884,4104,4046,15256,4018,165,15257,298],"class_list":["post-175931","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-bottomlands","tag-close-up","tag-flycatcher","tag-flycatchers","tag-perched","tag-portrait","tag-scissor-tailed-flycatcher","tag-sky","tag-spring","tag-tyrannus-forficatus","tag-tyrant-flycatchers-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-portrait-mia-mcpherson-8285.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-JLB","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":175931,"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":175721,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2026\/05\/09\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-picking-up-nesting-material\/","url_meta":{"origin":175931,"position":1},"title":"Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Picking Up Nesting Material","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this week I caught a flash of gray, white and salmon-pink next to a dirt road at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. It was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Roadside Scissor-tailed Flycatcher picking up nesting material, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-7179.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-7179.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-7179.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-7179.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":143716,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/05\/09\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-on-a-post\/","url_meta":{"origin":175931,"position":2},"title":"Scissor-tailed Flycatcher On A Post","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scissor-tailed Flycatcher perched on a wooden post, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-1317.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-1317.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-1317.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-1317.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":114813,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/07\/29\/great-crested-flycatcher-in-arkansas\/","url_meta":{"origin":175931,"position":3},"title":"Great Crested Flycatcher In Arkansas","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"While I visited my friend Steve in Arkansas, I was happy to hear, see, and take a few Great Crested Flycatcher photos in his yard and at the refuge in Oklahoma.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Great Crested Flycatcher in Arkansas, Sebastian County","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Great-Crested-Flycatcher-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-6261.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Great-Crested-Flycatcher-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-6261.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Great-Crested-Flycatcher-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-6261.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Great-Crested-Flycatcher-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-6261.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":175931,"position":4},"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. I've seen dozens of these kingbirds there.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eastern Kingbird perched in a mulberry, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/eastern-kingbird-tishomingo-nwr-mia-mcpherson-0547.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/eastern-kingbird-tishomingo-nwr-mia-mcpherson-0547.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/eastern-kingbird-tishomingo-nwr-mia-mcpherson-0547.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/eastern-kingbird-tishomingo-nwr-mia-mcpherson-0547.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58258,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/05\/31\/calling-willow-flycatcher-hearing-fitz-bew-clinched-the-id\/","url_meta":{"origin":175931,"position":5},"title":"Calling Willow Flycatcher – Hearing FITZ-bew Clinched The ID","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 31, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Because of a two part call, FITZ-bew, I had no trouble identifying a flycatcher that I saw, photographed and heard yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains as a Willow Flycatcher.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calling Willow Flycatcher, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willow-flycatcher-calling-mia-mcpherson-2637.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willow-flycatcher-calling-mia-mcpherson-2637.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willow-flycatcher-calling-mia-mcpherson-2637.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willow-flycatcher-calling-mia-mcpherson-2637.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175931"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":175934,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175931\/revisions\/175934"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}