Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
The Eastern phoebe is very tolerant of human presence. The growing use of man-made structures as substitute nest sites has greatly facilitated their expansion across North America (Weeks).
US Migratory Bird Act: protected
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Phoebes sometimes nest near man-made structures, and it is sometimes necessary to remove their nests due to potential health problems associated with mites in the nests and droppings beneath the nest (Weeks).
Phoebes feed on some species of insects that are harmful.
The Eastern Phoebe is predominantly insectivorous, consuming mostly flying insects such as wasps, ants, flies and wild bees. Invertebrates such as grasshoppers, airborn spiders, hairworms from the water and even small fishes from shallow water round out their diet. It has been observed that it can survive on fruit when insects are unavailable. Flycatching is its main means of obtaining food, usually done from a perch less than 10 meters off the ground. It also occasionally chases flying insects to the ground, pounces on insects on the ground, and picks insects from trees while hovering. Its most active foraging period occurs in the morning (Terres, 1980; Weeks, 1994).
The breeding range of the Eastern Phoebe extends from northern Canada down into the southeastern U.S. It winters primarily in the southeastern U.S., with especially heavy concentrations in Texas and Florida. The winter range can also reach well into Mexico. It has only been recorded twice outside of North America, both times in 1987 in Great Britain (Weeks, 1994).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
The Eastern Phoebe occurs in woodlands and in woody vegetation. They seem to prefer deciduous woodlands, and perhaps edge forest, and open habitats rather than mature or closed forests. There is some evidence that they prefer to be near water, but the availability of suitable nesting habitat limits them more often than preference (Weeks, 1994).
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 124 months.
The Eastern Phoebe is medium-sized flycatcher, dull in coloration to blend in with its surrounding woodland habitat. It ranges from 142-168 mm, and the male is generally larger than the female. The plumage of the male also tends to be darker, but neither of these characteristics is a failsafe means of determining the bird's sex. The upperparts of the adults are olive or grayish-brown, and the underparts tend to be pale buff. Juveniles have white bars on their wings. The bill is black (Terres, 1980; Weeks, 1994).
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Average mass: 21.6 g.
Average basal metabolic rate: 0.3449 W.
The Eastern Phoebe is monogamous and usually double-brooded. Pair formation occurs quickly after they arrive on the breeding grounds in spring. No recurrent courtship displays have been documented. The female always initiates copulation, usually in the mornings only, during the male's pre-dawn song. After pairs are formed, nest-building begins immediately, which helps them to establish territory. The female chooses the nest site. She alone builds it, though the male is with her continuously while she builds, most likely guarding his mate. The nests are made of mud, moss, some leaves, and lined with fine grass, stems and hair. Phoebes often reuse nests, of their own species or another species, though never without renovating them first. They also often build over old eggs or dead young. The nests are always built with cover overhead. Suitable nesting habitat for Eastern Phoebes is limited, so there is strong site attachment in this species. Often the same pair will breed at the same site for several successive years. Eastern phoebes keep the same nest and same mate for both broods. The laying of the first clutch usually begins 7-14 days after the nest is complete. The clutch can be 2-6, but usually 5 eggs are laid. The eggs are white with little gloss, and they sometimes have a few reddish-brown dots on one end. Incubation lasts about 16 days, less for the second brood which occurs in summer. Incubation is carried out solely by the female, and the male does not feed her while she sits. Most eggs hatch within a 24-hour period, and the female removes the eggshells from the nest immediately afterwards. Though the chicks are able to fly by day 15, they usually do not fledge until day 16 or 18. Both males and females feed the young. The young are capable of breeding in their first year.
The Eastern Phoebe is strongly parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird. Cowbird females often remove phoebe eggs in the process of leaving their own, and the egg is rarely rejected by the phoebe female. In most of these nests only the cowbird egg hatches, but if the phoebe egg does hatch, it will do so a few days later and the phoebe chick will usually starve. The fledgling success of cowbirds in parasitized phoebe nests is about 60-70%, about the same rate of success as phoebes in unparasitized nests (Weeks, 1994).
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
Average time to hatching: 16 days.
Average eggs per season: 5.
A sparrow-sized (6 ½ -7 inches) flycatcher, the Eastern Phoebe is most easily identified by its gray-green body, pale breast, and notched tail. This species is most easily distinguished from the similarly patterned Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) by that species’ conspicuous white wing bars. Male and female Eastern Phoebes are similar to one another in all seasons. The Eastern Phoebe breeds across much of the northeastern United States and south-central Canada. In winter, this species may be found in the southeastern U.S. and northern Mexico. Eastern Phoebes are present all year in portions of the interior southeast and the Mid-Atlantic. Eastern Phoebes breed in a variety of forest habitats, including forests with deciduous trees, evergreen trees, or a mix of both. This species generally utilizes similarly-structured habitats in winter as in summer. Eastern Phoebes primarily eat small flying insects, but may also eat fruits and berries during the winter and on migration when insects are unavailable. In eastern forests in summer, the Eastern Phoebe may be most easily observed flying out from high perches to capture insect prey. This species may also be observed on a high perch singing its characteristic ‘phoe-be’ song. Eastern Phoebes are primarily active during the day.
A sparrow-sized (6 ½ -7 inches) flycatcher, the Eastern Phoebe is most easily identified by its gray-green body, pale breast, and notched tail. This species is most easily distinguished from the similarly patterned Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) by that species’ conspicuous white wing bars. Male and female Eastern Phoebes are similar to one another in all seasons. The Eastern Phoebe breeds across much of the northeastern United States and south-central Canada. In winter, this species may be found in the southeastern U.S. and northern Mexico. Eastern Phoebes are present all year in portions of the interior southeast and the Mid-Atlantic. Eastern Phoebes breed in a variety of forest habitats, including forests with deciduous trees, evergreen trees, or a mix of both. This species generally utilizes similarly-structured habitats in winter as in summer. Eastern Phoebes primarily eat small flying insects, but may also eat fruits and berries during the winter and on migration when insects are unavailable. In eastern forests in summer, the Eastern Phoebe may be most easily observed flying out from high perches to capture insect prey. This species may also be observed on a high perch singing its characteristic ‘phoe-be’ song. Eastern Phoebes are primarily active during the day.
The eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) is a small passerine bird. The genus name Sayornis is constructed from the specific part of Charles Lucien Bonaparte's name for Say's phoebe, Muscicapa saya, and Ancient Greek ornis, "bird".[2] Phoebe is an alternative name for the Roman moon-goddess Diana, but it may also have been chosen to imitate the bird's call.[3]
Measurements:[4]
This species appears remarkably big-headed, especially if it puffs up the small crest. Its plumage is gray-brown above. It has a white throat, dirty gray breast and buffish underparts which become whiter during the breeding season. Two indistinct buff bars are present on each wing. Its lack of an eye ring and wingbars, and its all dark bill distinguish it from other North American tyrant flycatchers, and it pumps its tail up and down like other phoebes when perching on a branch. The eastern phoebe's call is a sharp chip, and the song, from which it gets its name, is fee-bee.
The eastern wood pewee (Contopus virens) is extremely similar in appearance. It lacks the buff hue usually present on the lighter parts of the eastern phoebe's plumage, and thus has always clearly defined and contrasting wing-bars. It also does not bob its tail habitually, and appears on the breeding grounds much later though it leaves for winter quarters at about the same time as the eastern phoebe.[5]
It often nests on human structures such as bridges and buildings. Nesting activity may start as early as the first days of April.[6] The nest is an open cup with a mud base and lined with moss and grass, built in crevice in a rock or man-made site; two to six eggs are laid. Both parents feed the young and usually raise two broods per year. The eastern phoebe is occasionally host to the nest-parasitic brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater).
Eastern phoebes are highly adaptable to urban environments. They are primarily found in wooded areas, particularly streamsides, and farmlands. Eastern phoebes tend to avoid open areas and choose spots beneath trees, brushy areas or overhangs. However, during migration in winters or in breeding season they are frequently seen around the edges of woods and other areas where water sources are abundant.[7]
The eastern phoebe breeds in eastern North America excluding the southeastern coastal United States. The breeding habitat is open woodland, farmland and suburbs, often near water. This phoebe is insectivorous, and often perches conspicuously when seeking food items. It also eats fruits and berries in cooler weather.
It is migratory, wintering in the southernmost United States and Central America. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. This is one of the first birds to return to the breeding grounds in spring and one of the last to leave in the fall. They arrive for breeding in mid-late March, but they return to winter quarters around the same time when other migrant songbirds do, in September and early October; migration times have stayed the same in the last 100 years.[6][5] The increase in trees throughout the Great Plains during the past century due to fire suppression and tree planting facilitated a western range expansion of the eastern phoebe[8] as well as range expansions of many other species of birds.[9][10][11]
Phoebes appear in the poem "The Need of being Versed in Country Things", published in 1923 by Robert Frost. The poem describes phoebes nesting inside a barn on a farm abandoned after the farmhouse burned to the ground. The poem ends "One had to be versed in country things/Not to believe the phoebes wept."
They also appear in the Mary Oliver poem “The Messenger.”
In Wisconsin
Taken at Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, Quebec
Nest with one brown-headed cowbird egg
Immature birds in a nest, Norman, Oklahoma
Older fledglings in nest
Front view
Phoebe eating various invertebrates
Phoebe eating a wasp
The eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) is a small passerine bird. The genus name Sayornis is constructed from the specific part of Charles Lucien Bonaparte's name for Say's phoebe, Muscicapa saya, and Ancient Greek ornis, "bird". Phoebe is an alternative name for the Roman moon-goddess Diana, but it may also have been chosen to imitate the bird's call.
