{"id":5322,"date":"2012-07-11T04:02:57","date_gmt":"2012-07-11T10:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=5322"},"modified":"2025-11-07T11:01:26","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T17:01:26","slug":"western-kingbird-on-barbed-wire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/07\/11\/western-kingbird-on-barbed-wire\/","title":{"rendered":"Western Kingbird On Barbed Wire"},"content":{"rendered":"

Western Kingbirds appear to have had a wonderful nesting season here in Utah\u00a0because there are plenty of young birds perching on wires and branches loudly demanding food from the\u00a0frazzled looking adults.<\/p>\n

\"BearWestern Kingbird on barbed wire – Nikon D200, f10, 1\/750, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 264mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When I first spotted this adult Western Kingbird on Monday\u00a0on the road\u00a0from the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a> auto tour loop it was perched below a cross beam on an old fence and it appeared to be resting in the shade of the beam above it.<\/p>\n

Can’t say I blame the bird because at only 9:55 am the temperature was already close to 90. When the kingbird moved to this strand of barbed wire it kept the upper portion of its wings slightly away from its body, probably to help keep it cooler.<\/p>\n

I was fairly close to this bird, I had to back my zoom up so the bird would fit in the frame without clipping parts of it and I selected f10 so I would have a bit more depth of field to get the bird and barbed wire sharply in focus.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":163070,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1148,26,534],"tags":[4004,4430,3830,3808,4884,3791,3772,4104,4183,4411],"class_list":["post-5322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-utah","category-western-kingbirds","tag-adult","tag-barbed-wire","tag-fence","tag-flycatcher","tag-flycatchers","tag-kingbird","tag-kingbirds","tag-perched","tag-tyrannus-verticalis","tag-western-kingbird"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-mia-mcpherson-4582.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1nQ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9096,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/08\/05\/western-kingbird-juvenile\/","url_meta":{"origin":5322,"position":0},"title":"Western Kingbird Juvenile","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I don't often have the 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":113327,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/05\/08\/my-first-of-year-western-kingbird-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":5322,"position":1},"title":"My First Of Year Western Kingbird Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 8, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"On my last trip to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I was tickled to take my first of year Western Kingbird photos when I was heading back to the interstate.","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":"First of year Western Kingbird on a barb wire fence, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/western-kingbird-adult-spring-mia-mcpherson-2541.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/western-kingbird-adult-spring-mia-mcpherson-2541.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/western-kingbird-adult-spring-mia-mcpherson-2541.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/western-kingbird-adult-spring-mia-mcpherson-2541.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51727,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/04\/20\/our-western-kingbirds-have-returned-to-northern-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":5322,"position":2},"title":"Our Western Kingbirds Have Returned To Northern Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I did see a Western Kingbird two days ago but the only photos I have of that bird were taken on a barbed wire fence and I have more of those type of images than I know what to do with and nothing about those images were appealing, unique or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Western Kingbird adult on nest, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-adult-nest-mia-mcpherson-2271.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-adult-nest-mia-mcpherson-2271.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-adult-nest-mia-mcpherson-2271.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-adult-nest-mia-mcpherson-2271.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53217,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/07\/25\/juvenile-western-kingbirds-in-box-elder-county-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":5322,"position":3},"title":"Juvenile Western Kingbirds in Box Elder County, Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 25, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Juvenile Western Kingbirds may look sweet like this one does perched on a fence but they can be rather pushy when it comes to demanding food from their parents and they are also quite noisy too while they are begging.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Western Kingbird next to a country road, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-1123.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-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-1123.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-1123.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-1123.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52101,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/05\/14\/adult-western-kingbird-perched-on-rusty-barbed-wire-in-northern-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":5322,"position":4},"title":"Adult Western Kingbird Perched on Rusty Barbed Wire in Northern Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 14, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I photographed this adult Western Kingbird perched on rusty barbed wire up in northern Utah with spring greenery behind it and I liked the greens, yellows, grays and whites in the photo.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Western Kingbird perched on rusty barbed wire, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-adult-mia-mcpherson-8949.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-adult-mia-mcpherson-8949.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-adult-mia-mcpherson-8949.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/western-kingbird-adult-mia-mcpherson-8949.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":105192,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/08\/20\/young-western-kingbird-in-the-west-desert\/","url_meta":{"origin":5322,"position":5},"title":"Young Western Kingbird In The West Desert","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Western Kingbird after eating a bug, West Desert, Tooele County, 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