Friends of Salter Grove logo
Menu

Eastern Phoebe

Sayornis phoebe
Tyrannidae
Somewhat oversized head
Characteristic FEE-bee call
Yellow wash on belly of some birds
Drab grayish-brown back, head darker
One of the earliest spring visitors to Salter Grove
Tail may wag up and down slowly
Catching insects emerging from water
This cricket will chirp no more
Not only flying arthropods are consumed
Clutch usually 2-6 eggs, minus Cowbird egg
Nest of mud and grass well protected from bad weather; often reused year after year
Which mouth will get this moth?
Two wingbars and short tail on banded nestling
Fledgling still has soft gape and wingbars but tail now longer
Fledglings may huddle together but adults always solitary
Unlike adult, immature still has wingbars
No clear wingbars in adult plumage

At Salter Grove, Eastern Phoebes are seen during spring or fall migration along the edges of woodland near water, such as near the boat ramp or along the Marsh Trail.  It is often the first migrant to visit in the spring and the last to pass through in the fall.

The Eastern Phoebe's head appears somewhat oversized and is slightly darker than the drab grayish-brown upper plumage.  Combined with the pale dingy underparts, it is not conspicuous as it sits in waitfor passing prey.  This medium-sized flycatcher only calls attention to itself when it sallies forth from its perch to capture ants, flies, grasshoppers, spiders, wasps and wild bee.  The slow up-and-down movement of the tail as it waits will also gives away its position in the lower branches of small trees.

The Eastern Phoebe breeds in deciduous forest from northern Canada to southeastern United States.  Concentrations of individuals winter in Florida and Texas with some even venturing into northern Mexico.

Its characteristic call "FEE-bee" has given rise to both its common and scientific names.  It is not very striking in appearance but has the distinction of being the first bird ever banded.  In 1804, John James Audubon, the renowned painter of North American birds, attached silvered-threads to the leg of an Eastern Phoebe to track its arrival from year to year.

Many North American bird species have declined in numbers because of human alteration of the natural landscape.  However, the Eastern Phoebe has adapted well to nesting under bridges, and other protected nooks and crannies in human structures such as houses or barns, especially if there is a water body nearby.