It’s said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yet these nine species
have universal appeal for their pleasing color palettes, their unique
body lines and, sometimes, their hint of elusiveness. When it comes to
these birds, we can’t help but admire them. BY KEN KEFFER
Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher
A long split tail gives Oklahoma’s state bird a very
distinct silhouette. Its salmon-colored shoulders
and underwings stand out in flight. Like the closely
related kingbirds, this species is often observed on
open perches, ready to fly out to snag any insects
in midflight. While the core breeding range is in the
south-central United States, individual scissor-tailed
flycatchers have been known to show up in other
locations around the country.