Eastern Phoebe

## Description

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.

## Appearance

The Eastern phoebe is a small perching bird native to North America. It has a big head, 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. The lack of an eye ring and wingbars and the all dark bill distinguish the Eastern phoebe from other North American tyrant flycatchers.

## Distribution

These birds breed in eastern North America, although their normal range does not include the southeastern coastal United States. They are migratory, wintering in the southernmost United States and Central America. Eastern phoebes inhabit open woodland, farmland, and suburbs, often near water.

## Behavior

Eastern phoebes are generally solitary but during the breeding season, they can sometimes spend time in pairs. They are diurnal being most active in the morning. These birds usually forage by perching conspicuously on a branch often pumping their tail up and down while looking for flying insects. When the prey is spotted phoebes chase it down and then return to the same perch. They may also pick insects or berries from the foliage. Eastern phoebes are highly territorial and males often use vocalizations to claim the territory. The call of these birds is a sharp 'chip', and the song, from which they get their name, is 'fee-bee'.

## Diet

Eastern phoebes are insectivores. They feed mainly on insects and in cooler weather will also eat fruits and berries.

## Reproduction

Eastern phoebes are monogamous and form pair bonds. They start breeding as early as the first days of April and may raise two broods per season. These birds often nest on human structures such as bridges and buildings. Their nest is an open cup with a mud base and lined with moss and grass. The female lays 2 to 6 eggs and incubates them for 15-17 days. When the chicks hatch both parents feed them about 15-16 days. At this time the young are ready to leave the nest. They will attain reproductive maturity in their first year of age.

## Population

### Population threats

There are no major threats facing Eastern phoebes at present.

### Population number

According to the What Bird resource, the total population size of the Eastern phoebe is 16,000,000 individuals. According to the All About Birds resource the total breeding population size of this species is 32,000,000 breeding birds. Overall, currently, Eastern phoebes are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today are increasing.

## Fun Facts For Kids

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' which means 'bird'. The word 'Phoebe' is an alternative name for the Roman moon-goddess Diana, but it may also have been chosen to imitate the bird's call.

Eastern phoebes belong to the family of the tyrant flycatchers. They are considered the largest family of birds, with more than 400 species. Members of this family have short and thin bills adapted for catching insects.

The Eastern phoebe is one of the first birds in its range 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. Their migration times have stayed the same in the last 100 years.

Eastern phoebes can raise their head feathers which will look like a short crest at the rear of their head.

Eastern phoebes were the first birds to be banded in North America. In 1804, John James Audubon (American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter) tied silver wire around the legs of these birds; this helped to discovered that they return to the same nesting sites each year.