Great Kiskadee (Pitangus Sulphuratus)

The Great Kiskadee, commonly referred to as the Kiskedee, is one of the most common birds in Trinidad and Tobago. It eats, quite literally, everything - I've seen them attack fruit, insects, bread, french fries (chips) and even fried chicken with equal vigor. If there is a scrap of something edible to be found and it isn't decomposing, expect to see a kiskedee making off with it. When I had the dogs, I was amused to find that a kiskedee had taken a piece of their chow and was trying to crack it 'open' against a metal pipe. It did seem when I had the dogs that the Kiskedees were larger, but that is more of an amusing thought than anything supported by empirical evidence.

While the tanagers tend to be first to the feeder, they tend to wait in the case of thicker skinned fruit - making a ruckus until a Great Kiskadee or Tropical Mockingbird shows up and pierces the skin with its beak.

When it comes to the pecking order of the feeder and environs, the Great Kiskadee and the Bare-eyed thrushes are about equal - but when the Tropical Mockingbirds show up, they all suddenly seem to lose their appetite.

The kiskedee remains a cultural icon of Trinidad and Tobago. Its iconic call, 'Kiss-kiss-kiss-kedee' gives it its name - and while it is one of the more vibrantly colored birds, it is also probably one of the most domesticated in that it seems to feed more off of human food than other birds. Unafraid and even curious, perhaps wondering if there is some food in the offing, Kiskedees will probably be around as long as humans are.

Wikipedia reference: Great Kiskadee
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