Scissor-tailed Flycatcher With Grasshopper

I saw and photographed my first Scissor-tailed Flycatcher of the year yesterday morning at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Seeing one again felt like a sure sign that spring had settled in.

I spotted this bird near the beginning of the auto tour road. It was perched on an old cornstalk left standing in the field, and that perch gave me a clean view as it hunted.

My First Scissor-tailed Flycatcher of the Year

I parked on the auto tour road and began photographing the bird from my truck. After a bit, it flew down, caught a grasshopper, and returned to the same perch.

That short hunting run gave me the sequence I am sharing today. I like these moments because they show more than a portrait. They show what the bird was doing and how it was using the perch.

Scissor-tailed Flycatchers often hunt from exposed perches, then drop or sally out after insects before returning. That behavior fit this bird perfectly. The old cornstalk worked like a lookout post in the open field.

Wildlife Notes on the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is one of the most striking birds in Oklahoma. Its pale gray head and body, salmon wash along the flanks, black wings, and very long tail make it hard to miss.

That long tail is part of what gives the bird so much character in flight and at rest. On a perched bird, it can look almost oversized. In good light, the soft color and sharp contrast in the plumage really stand out.

This bird was focused on feeding. The grasshopper in its bill made that clear. Open fields, scattered perches, and roadside edges at places like Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge give Scissor-tailed Flycatchers good hunting spots during spring and summer.

Photography Notes

I photographed this bird from my truck with a beanbag draped over the window. That setup gave me solid support while still letting me react fast when the bird dropped down and came back with the grasshopper.

The old cornstalk helped the composition. It gave the bird a natural perch, and the soft background kept the attention on the subject. I also like how the perch and the long tail work together to carry the eye through the frame.

The bright morning light gave me the shutter speed I needed for quick movement. Even when the bird was perched, I wanted enough speed to freeze any sudden motion.

Camera Settings

• Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Lens: Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM
• Focal length: 800mm
• Aperture: f/10
• Shutter speed: 1/4000 second
• ISO: 1600 and 2000
• Exposure compensation: 0
• Support: Beanbag draped over truck window
• Date and Time: April 5, 2026, at 10:12 A.M.

Closing Thoughts

I always enjoy seeing Scissor-tailed Flycatchers each spring, and this one gave me a great sequence to photograph. If you’d like to see more of these birds, you can also visit my earlier post on Scissor-tailed Flycatchers Wasp Feast.

Moments like this are why I keep my camera ready on the auto tour road at Sequoyah. You never know when a familiar spring bird will give you a little extra story to photograph.