Easy Bird ID: Western Kingbird vs Cassin's Kingbird – Lookalike Birds

In this episode of Easy Bird ID, we'll uncover the secrets to telling Western Kingbirds apart from Cassin’s Kingbirds—two similar yellow-bellied birds often spotted in the western U.S. From field guide tips to unique ID markers like tail feathers and calls, we’ll walk you through everything you need to confidently ID these species. Plus, we’ll explore behavioral traits, habitat comparisons, and even how to rule out other birds like Myiarchus flycatchers, Western Meadowlarks, and Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds. Whether you're just starting with birdwatching or sharpening your bird ID skills, this video is packed with insights to level up your birding game. Grab your favorite field guide and follow along with me as we identify these lookalike birds.

Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:16 Similar species
5:09 Tell apart Western and Cassin's Kingbird
6:09 Songs & calls: Western and Cassin's Kingbirds

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Improve Your Birding Skills & Identification Tips
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Attribution. Thank you to these recordists for photos, videos, and audio recordings.

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Map
CAKI map Cephas Wikicommons BY-SA 4
WEKI map Cephas Wikipedia BY-SA 4

Audio
XC184925 - Western Kingbird Richard E Webster Xeno-Canto used with permission
XC321775 - Cassin's Kingbird Richard E Webster Xeno-Canto used with permission

Photos
Great Crested Flycatcher Andy Reago Chrissy McClarren Flickr BY 2
Great Crested Flycatcher Grayson Smith USFWS Flickr Public Domain
Great Crested Flycatcher Susan Young Flickr Public Domain

Habitat
Kit Carson Park Genevieve Prentice Flickr BY-SA 2
Novato California Zan Ready Flickr BY-SA 2

Video
Cassin's Kingbird Flickrvideo from Pixabay