Say's Phoebe

Sayornis saya

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

Like other phoebes, the rusty-bellied Say's Phoebe is common around people, often nesting on buildings. A bird of open country, it is found from Alaska through Mexico.

Cool Facts

• The Say's Phoebe breeds farther north than any other flycatcher, seemingly limited only by the lack of nest sites. It breeds north past tree line, and may be following the Alaska pipeline even farther north, nesting on the pipeline itself.

Description

• Size: 17 cm (7 in)
• Weight: 21-22 g (0.74-0.78 ounces)

• Small songbird; medium-sized flycatcher.
• Upperparts pale brownish gray.
• Belly and undertail cinnamon.
• Wags tail.

• Head and wings darker than back.
• Chin, throat and chest buffy gray.
• Medium long black tail.
• Black bill.
• Feet and legs black.
• Flycatches from exposed perch.

Sex Differences

Sexes alike.

Immature

Immature like adult, but browner and may show buff wingbar.

Similar Species

• Eastern Phoebe with pale gray to white below.
• Black Phoebe black with white belly.
• Female Vermilion Flycatcher shows reddish in the lower belly and undertail, but has white throat, pale eyeline, and dusky streaks on chest.

Sound

Song a low, whistled "pit-tsee-eur" alternated with a burry upslurred "churr-eep." Also a "phee-eur."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds in western North America away from Pacific Coast, from arctic Alaska to central Mexico, eastward to eastern Nebraska.

Winter Range

Winters from northern California and Nevada southward through southern Mexico, eastward to central Texas.

Habitat

Open country, sagebrush, badlands, dry barren foothills, canyons, borders of deserts, and ranches. Often around buildings. Avoids watercourses and heavy forest.

Food

Flying and terrestrial insects.

Behavior

Foraging

Flies from perch near ground and pursues flying insects. Also hovers and gleans insects off of vegetation.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest an open cup of rocks, weed stems, grass, plant fibers, spider webs and other items, lined with hair, fibers, paper, or feathers. Placed on ledge with cover, such as in a cave, or on a building or bridge.

Egg Description

White, sometimes with reddish spots.

Clutch Size

Usually 4-5 eggs. Range: 3-7.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless with sparse down.

Conservation Status

Say's Phoebe has benefited from use of human-made structures for nest sites.

Other Names

Moucherolle à ventre roux (French)
Papamoscas ilanero (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Schukman, J. M., and B. O. Wolf. 1998. Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya). In The Birds of North America, No. 374 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.