Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
In New England, the most well-known species within the scientific family Tyrannidae is the Eastern Phoebe, Sayornis phoebe. Sayornis is a combination of the last name of a 19th century naturalist named Thomas Say, plus ornis, an ancient Greek word for bird. The Latin family name was derived from an 18th century English naturalist’s description of one species in this group, the Eastern Kingbird, as a “tyrant.” The so-called “tyrant flycatchers” are insect eaters, though they do not necessarily prefer flies.
As suggested by the common name, this species breeds in eastern portions of North America, including far northern as well as southeastern states, where some birds remain year-round, while others travel a bit farther to Florida or parts of the Gulf coast. “Phoebe” may be an imitation of the species’ vocalization. They are one of the earliest migratory birds to arrive in northern parts of their breeding range (March/April), and one of the last to leave in October.
Despite their rather drab appearance, phoebes are familiar and readily identified due to their tendency to nest in or on structures built by people, like open porches, sheds, or barns. A distinguishing behavioral characteristic of a perching bird is a down-then-up bobbing of the tail. Phoebes consume a variety of insects, primarily by a maneuver known as “sallying” or “hawking” – flying from a perch to catch an insect in the air and then returning to the perch. Phoebes also sometimes capture prey by gleaning from a substrate like a leaf, or even the ground.
Phoebes construct cup-shaped nests of mud and moss, with moss always seen on the outside. Nests are often built on a shelf just beneath an overhead cover that provides protection from weather, with the height of the shelf providing safety from ground predators. Some nests are built from scratch, while others are renovations of old nests. A typical nest has five small white eggs. Females incubate the eggs and brood the young; both parents feed.
Newly-hatched young are naked except for some sparse gray down. Over the next 2-3 weeks, they will gain first the body feathers of nestlings, and then the wing and tail feathers of youngsters ready to leave the nest, or fledge. During that period of time, if the female dies, the male will continue to provide food, but because he does not brood, younger nestlings will likely die from hypothermia. If the male dies and a replacement mate is accepted by the female, he will evict or even kill the nestlings. Young phoebes may also be orphaned if nests fall from unstable surfaces or need to be removed in structural renovations. Mites feeding on the blood of nestlings can debilitate them, especially in later-season clutches. One final cause of nest failure is parasitism by a Brown-headed Cowbird whose offspring competes with young phoebes for food.
After leaving the nest, fledgling phoebes are tended by their parents for up to approximately 2 weeks, as they hone their foraging skills to a point of becoming independent. Adults may start a second family even before the first brood is fully self-sufficient, and some pairs manage a third brood before departing in October.
More information about their natural history can be found at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Phoebe/