FORT SILL, Okla. -- When the creator decided to make a flycatcher with a stupendously long, forked tail, it showed the Big Guy had a sense of humor.

If you watch the scissor-tailed flycatcher's sky dance as it plucks insects on the wing, you'll notice the tail gets a lot of use as a rudder. Other members of the flycatcher family with normal -sized tails are adept at catching flies and other bugs right out of midair, with equally amazing aerial acrobatics. It just looks more dramatic when the tail is longer than the bird's body, and forked besides.

What advantage does the scissor-tailed flycatcher's tail give that makes dragging it everywhere worth it? If ornithologists have found the answer to that one, they must be keeping it to themselves.

Unfortunately, those gorgeous tails were in demand for hat decorations during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era, according to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation website. Although scissor-tails were protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, this poaching caused their populations to drop considerably.

As the state bird of Oklahoma since 1951, the bird has made a comeback. Its primary breeding range is most of Texas and Oklahoma, as well as portions of the bordering states. It winters in southern Mexico and Central America.

I learned a lot from the various internet bird websites about this beautiful and distinctive bird. For instance, it tends to use a lot of human detritus in its nest, ranging from cigarette filters, strings, scraps of paper, and carpet fuzz. It is also fiercely protective of its nest and will even chase away hawks that dare to intrude.

It also prefers open fields with scattered trees for its nests. While they are most visible when perched on a wire fence or utility line, I've often seen them in solitary trees or on tall stalks of dried grass. Although it is rarely shown, there is a red crown on its head, more prominent in the males.

The tail of the female is supposedly shorter than that of the male, and she is less vivid in coloration. The dark salmon "armpits" are striking when the bird flies, but sometimes a sliver of orange can be seen on the wing's curve when it is perched. A light yellow-salmon wash on the lower belly gives a look of delicacy to its overall soft gray plumage.

While some birds have the distinction of being claimed as the official bird of several states (the mockingbird and cardinal among them), only Oklahoma can boast the scissor-tailed flycatcher as its own. It even has a place on the 2008 commemorative state quarter. I dare say the scissor-tail has a special place in the hearts of Oklahomans. As well as Texans. And just about anybody lucky enough to see one.