NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Tyrannus forficatus (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The scissor-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus), known as swallow-tailed flycatcher or scissorstail, is a long-tailed insectivorous bird of the genus Tyrannus, whose members are collectively referred to as kingbirds. It is found in North and Central America, and is Oklahoma's State Bird.
Wikipedia contributors, Scissor-tailed flycatcher; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:02:39.993683+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Tyrannus forficatus (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
- Name authority
- (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
- Common name
- Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Tyrannus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyTyrannidae
- genusTyrannus Lacépède, 1799
- speciesTyrannus forficatus (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Tyrannus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| White-throated KingbirdTyrannus albogularis Burmeister, 1856 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Loggerhead KingbirdTyrannus caudifasciatus d'Orbigny, 1839 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Couch's KingbirdTyrannus couchii S. F. Baird, 1858 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Thick-billed KingbirdTyrannus crassirostris Swainson, 1826 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Giant KingbirdTyrannus cubensis Richmond, 1898 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gray KingbirdTyrannus dominicensis (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tropical KingbirdTyrannus melancholicus Vieillot, 1819 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cassin's KingbirdTyrannus vociferans Swainson, 1826 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Fork-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus savana Daudin, 1802 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Snowy-throated KingbirdTyrannus niveigularis P. L. Sclater, 1860 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus (Linnaeus, 1758) | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalis Say, 1822 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Muscicapa forficata J. F. Gmelin, 1789 J. F. Gmelin, 1789 | synonym |
| Muscivora forficata (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Middle America
North America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=178293 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:59Z2M. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.