Scientific Name:   Sayornis phoebe

Length:   5.5-6.7 in (14-17 cm)

Weight:   0.6-0.7 oz (16-21 g)

Wingspan:   10.2-11.0 in (26-28 cm)

Nest:   The nest is made from mud, moss, and leaves mixed with grass stems and animal hair. The nest may be placed on a firm foundation or it may adhere to a vertical wall using a surface irregularity as a partial foundation. Nests can take 5–14 days to build and are about 5 inches across when finished. The nest cup is 2.5 inches across and 2 inches deep.

Eggs:   4-5, sometimes 2-6. White, sometimes with a few dots of reddish brown. Incubation is by female only, about 16 days.

Feeding Behavior:   Insects make up a great majority of its summer diet; included are many small wasps, bees, beetles, flies, true bugs, and grasshoppers. It also eats some spiders, ticks, and millipedes. Small fruits and berries are eaten often during the cooler months. They sit alertly on low perches, often twitching their tails as they look out for flying insects. When they spot one, they abruptly leave their perch on quick wingbeats, and chase down their prey.

Young:   Both parents bring food for nestlings. Young usually leave nest about 16 days after hatching. Adults typically raise 2 broods per year.

Range:   They are primarily found in wooded areas, particularly streams, and farmlands. Eastern phoebes tend to avoid open areas and choose spots beneath trees, brushy areas or overhangs. 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.

Brief Description:   The Eastern Phoebe is brownish-gray above and off-white below, with a dusky wash to the sides of the breast, which become whiter during the breeding season. The head is typically the darkest part of the upperparts. Birds in fresh fall plumage show faint yellow on the belly and whitish edging on the folded wing feathers. Its lack of an eye ring and wingbars, and its all dark bill distinguish it from other North American tyrant flycatchers.