Field Guide to Birds of North America
Black Phoebe
General
Black Phoebe: Medium-sized flycatcher with mostly black body and white belly. Outer tail feathers and undertail coverts are white. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has subtle brown scales on back.
Range and Habitat
Black Phoebe: Resident in northern California and southwestern U.S.; also occurs in the tropics. Preferred habitats include shady areas near water, streams, ponds, and lakes; occurs in city parks and open chaparral in winter.
Listen to Call
Voice Text
Common call is a sharp seek!
Interesting Facts
The male shows the female potential nest sites by hovering in front of a likely spot for 5 to 10 seconds. The female makes the final decision about where to place the nest and does all the construction.
Although primarily insectivorous, they will occasionally catch fish.
Black Phoebes are territorial and solitary nesters, often remaining year-round in an established territory.
A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including "an outfield of flycatchers", "a swatting of flycatchers", "a zapper of flycatchers", and a "zipper of flycatchers."
Author
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Family
Flycatcher (Tyrannidae)_blue
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Species
Sayornis nigricans
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Length6 - 7
Inches
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Wingspan10.75
Inches
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Black Phoebe
Black Phoebe: Medium flycatcher, mostly black body and white belly. Outer tail feathers and undertail coverts are white. Bill, legs, feet are black. Feeds primarily on insects, sometimes small fish. Weak fluttering bouyant flight with shallow wing beats. Sallies from perch to catch insects in air.
● Song: Common call is a sharp seek!
● Foraging & Feeding: Black Phoebe: Hunts for food from a low, shaded perch where it watches for insects and swoops down to catch them in mid-air. Occasionally snatches food from the water's surface, ground, or vegetation; also eats small fish caught at the water's surface. Coughs up indigestible insect parts in the form of pellets.
● Breeding & nesting: Black Phoebe: Three to six white eggs, sometimes with red brown spots, are laid in a mud, moss, and grass nest lined with soft material, often feathers or cow hair, and built under a bridge, on a sheltered ledge, in a crevice, in an old building, or in hanging roots near the top of an embankment close to water. Incubation ranges from 15 to 17 days and is carried out by the female.
● Similar species: Black Phoebe: Eastern Phoebe has olive-gray sides and breast; gray-brown upperparts, and white underparts. Eastern Kingbird is larger, has black head, gray-black upperparts, and white underparts.
Flight Pattern
Weak fluttering flight with shallow wing beats.
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BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
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PopulationCommon near water
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MigrationSome migrate
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Weight0.7
Ounces
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