The Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher: Oklahoma’s Bird of the Open Sky
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A red-dirt road.
A windmill turning against a wide sky.
Tall prairie grass moving in the wind.
And, during the warmer months, a slender gray bird perched on a fence or utility wire with an impossibly long tail trailing behind it.
The scissor-tailed flycatcher is one of Oklahoma’s most recognizable residents.
It is also our state bird.
A Bird Made for the Oklahoma Landscape
The scissor-tailed flycatcher is graceful even when it is sitting still.
Its body is mostly pale gray and white, with darker wings and flashes of salmon-pink along its sides. But the feature that makes it unmistakable is its extraordinarily long, forked tail.
The tail can reach about nine inches in length, giving the bird one of the most distinctive silhouettes in the Oklahoma countryside.
When the bird takes flight, that tail becomes even more remarkable.
It opens and closes as the scissortail twists through the air chasing insects—turning an everyday act of feeding into something that almost looks choreographed.
Why Oklahoma Chose the Scissortail
In 1951, Oklahoma officially designated the scissor-tailed flycatcher as its state bird.
The choice was especially appropriate because Oklahoma lies near the heart of the bird’s nesting range. Historical accounts also note its usefulness as an insect eater as one reason supporters believed it represented the state well.
Unlike some official symbols that people rarely encounter, the scissortail is still very much part of everyday Oklahoma.
You do not necessarily need to visit a wildlife refuge to find one.
You might see one simply driving down a country road.
Watch the Fence Lines
Scissortails favor open country with scattered trees, fences and other elevated places from which they can watch for insects.
That is why Oklahomans so often see them perched on:
- barbed-wire fences
- utility lines
- fence posts
- small trees
- roadside shrubs
From those perches, they scan the surrounding air and then dart outward to catch flying insects before returning to another lookout.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports that scissortails are generally seen in the state from early April through late October, although individual birds occasionally arrive earlier or remain later.
Their return is one of those quiet Oklahoma signals that spring has truly arrived.
A Summer Visitor
For all the affection Oklahoma has for its state bird, the scissortail does not actually spend the entire year here.
It is a migratory bird.
Scissor-tailed flycatchers travel north in spring to breed and spend the warm season across Oklahoma and surrounding areas. As autumn approaches, they migrate south toward Mexico and Central America.
That makes their yearly appearance feel a little more special.
For several months, they become part of the familiar Oklahoma landscape.
Then they disappear.
And the following spring, we begin watching the fence lines again.
More Than a State Symbol
Perhaps the scissor-tailed flycatcher works so well as an Oklahoma symbol because it doesn't feel imposed on the landscape.
It belongs there.
The bird seems designed for open country—a dramatic silhouette against an enormous sky.
And there is something particularly memorable about seeing one perched quietly beside an Oklahoma highway.
Most travelers will drive right past.
But once you begin noticing scissortails, you start seeing them everywhere.
That is part of what we hope the Oklahoma Wildlife collection will do.
Not simply identify animals.
Help us notice the Oklahoma that is already around us.
Explore Oklahoma
Where to Look for Scissortails
During spring and summer, watch for scissor-tailed flycatchers across much of Oklahoma, particularly in open areas with scattered trees and convenient perches. The species can be seen across much of the state from spring through fall.
Country roads can be especially rewarding.
Look for:
- Long forked tails silhouetted against the sky
- Birds perched on roadside fences and utility wires
- Quick aerial flights as they pursue insects
- Pale gray bodies with subtle salmon-colored sides
- Pairs near nesting areas during the breeding season
Handmade Oklahoma Tip: When photographing a scissortail, don't automatically zoom in until the bird fills the frame. A scissortail perched on a weathered fence with prairie and Oklahoma sky around it may tell a much better story than a traditional close-up.
Learn More About Oklahoma's State Bird
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
Meet the Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher →
Discover More of Oklahoma's Story
Oklahoma Wildlife is part of Handmade Oklahoma’s Visual History of Oklahoma—a continuing collection celebrating the birds, animals and natural landscapes that help make our state recognizable.