Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
A lively, brightly coloured bird with a yellow breast, white head with a black mask and a loud call that gives it its name: "bien-te-veo". One of Panama's most common and best-known birds.
The great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) is a medium-sized songbird, about 22 cm long. Its striking plumage — yellow underside, brown back, white head with a black eye-stripe and a bold orange crown — makes it unmistakable.
These extremely adaptable birds are found in almost all habitats in Panama: from gardens and parks in Panama City to open woodland and farmland. They are omnivores, eating insects, small vertebrates, fruit and even fish, which they snatch from the water in a dive.
Their aggressive territorial behaviour makes them fierce defenders — they even attack much larger birds of prey that come too close to the nest.
- Kind
- bird
- Season
- year_round
- Habitat
- Open and semi-open landscapes, gardens, parks, forest edges and riverbanks. From sea level to 1,500 m.