Black Phoebe

Sayornis nigricans

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family TYRANNIDAE - Subfamily Fluvicolinae

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A small black-and-white flycatcher of the Southwest, the Black Phoebe is often found around people, but nearly always near water.

Cool Facts

• Although primarily insectivorous, the Black Phoebe occasionally catches fish. It dives into ponds to catch small minnows or other tiny fish, and may even feed fish to nestlings.

• The male Black Phoebe shows the female potential nest sites, 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.

Description

• Size: 16 cm (6 in)
• Weight: 15-22 g (0.53-0.78 ounces)

• Small songbird; medium-sized flycatcher.
• Black above and below.
• White belly and under tail.
• Wags tail.

• White belly extends onto chest in an inverted V.
• Outer edge of outer tail feather white.
• Small bill black.
• Feet black.
• Flycatches from exposed perch.

Sex Differences

Sexes alike.

Immature

Immature like adult, but with cinnamon edging to wing and back feathers.

Similar Species

• All phoebes wag their tails.
• Say's Phoebe is gray with a reddish belly.
• Eastern Phoebe can appear dark, but the top of head usually contrasts with a lighter back, and the throat is not black.

Sound

Song a broken series of whistled phrases. Each phrase made of two notes, the second downslurred. "Tee-hee, Tee-hoo."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds along Pacific Coast northward to southern Oregon and in southern Southwestern states, southward through Central America into southern South America.

Winter Range

Resident in most of breeding range, but withdraws from northern portions and winters along Gulf of California.

Habitat

Found in open areas near water, along cliffs, streams, lakes, agricultural areas, and parks. Often found around buildings.

Food

Insects, some small berries and small fish.

Behavior

Foraging

Flies from low perch and pursues flying insects. Also hovers and gleans insects from substrate.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest an open cup, cemented with mud to a wall close to a ceiling. Nest made of mud mixed with grass and other dry vegetation or hair, lined with woven plant fibers. Placed under bridge, cliff, or eave of building.

Egg Description

White, may be lightly spotted around large end.

Clutch Size

1-6 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless with sparse down.

Conservation Status

Populations in United States increasing. Benefits from many human activities, but destruction of riparian habitats and diversion of water is a concern.

Other Names

Moucherolle noir (French)
Mosquero negro (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Wolf, B. O. 1997. Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans). In The Birds of North America, No. 268 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.