Field Guide to Birds of North America
Eastern Phoebe
General
Eastern Phoebe: Small flycatcher with dark gray-brown upperparts and slightly darker wings and tail. Underparts are pale with hint of olive-brown or yellow on sides and breast. Bill, legs, and feet are black. Sexes are similar.
Range and Habitat
Eastern Phoebe: Breeds north of the Mason-Dixon Line in North America; spends winters as far north as the Ohio River.
Listen to Call
Voice Text
"chip";"FEE-be"
Interesting Facts
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 phoebe
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Length7
Inches
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Wingspan11.5
Inches
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Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Phoebe: Small flycatcher with dark gray-brown upperparts and slightly darker wings and tail. Underparts are pale with hint of olive-brown or yellow on sides and breast. Bill, legs, and feet are black. Feeds on insects, small fish, berries and fruit. Weak fluttering bouyant flight.
● Song: "chip";"FEE-be"
● Foraging & Feeding: Eastern Phoebe: Feeds on insects, small fish, berries, and fruits. Forages from atop tree branches and other perches, flying out to catch prey in mid-air; also gleans food from foliage, on the ground, and at the water surface.
● Breeding & nesting: Eastern Phoebe: Two to eight white eggs with occasional red brown spots are laid in a nest made of mud pellets covered with moss and lined with grass, weeds, leaves, hair, and feathers. Nest is normally built on top of an old nest, or attached to a building. Incubation is about 16 days and is carried out by both parents.
● Similar species: Eastern Phoebe: Eastern Wood-Pewee has darker underparts, yellow lower mandible, two white wing-bars, different voice, and does not pump tail.
Flight Pattern
Weak buoyant fluttering flight with shallow wing beats.
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BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
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Population
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MigrationMost migrate
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Weight0.7
Ounces
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