June 28, 2014 / Leslie

Weekend Birding: Eastern Phoebe

Birds, Eastern Phoebe, Photography, Photos

Last month I spent quite a few hours searching for a Snowy Egret. It had been sighted along the river where I monitor birds for the forest preserve. I never did find the egret, but I did see a lot of other birds. One of them was an Eastern Phoebe, a common bird during the summer months.

A pair of Phoebes were catching bugs and flying back and forth near a bridge over the river, stopping occasionally to perch on the railing – a sort of lookout point. After observing them for a few minutes, I realized they probably had a nest under the bridge. I couldn’t see the nest without wading into the river, which I wasn’t about to do, but their behavior was consistent with nesting birds.

A nest under the bridge

Phoebes prefer to breed in wooded areas near water but will also use human built structures such as the eaves of buildings, decks and under bridges. The nests are composed of mud, moss and leaves mixed with grass stems and animal hair. They are either placed on a firm surface or adhered to a wall with mud.

A summer resident

Phoebes will occasionally venture into backyards, although they will not use feeders. They are members of the flycatcher family and mainly eat flying insects, but will also eat other bugs and seeds. This is a bird I often hear before I see them. The male has a raspy song which sounds like “fee-bee”, from which they get their name. [song]

The Phoebe is a summer resident in the eastern half of the US and ranges up into parts of Canada. They are one of the first arrivals in early spring. [map] After the breeding season they will migrate south of the frost line to the central and southern US and Mexico.

Saturday Snapshot was originated by Alyce at At Home With Books. It is now hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.