A small flycatcher with peach-colored belly. Common in suburban yards across the western US.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Say's phoebe is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. A common bird across western North America, it prefers dry, desolate areas. It was named for Thomas Say, an American naturalist.
Source: Wikipedia — Say's phoebe Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Gray-brown above with a pale gray breast and a soft cinnamon-orange belly and undertail; pumps its blackish tail. No wing bars.
Similar species. Eastern Phoebe is whiter below; Black Phoebe is black-and-white. The peachy belly and pale gray breast mark Say's.
Voice. A plaintive, downslurred whistle 'pdee-ur' or 'pit-tsee-eur'.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Flying insects caught on the wing.
Behavior. A flycatcher of dry open country — sagebrush, badlands, ranchland — that often hovers while hunting and nests on cliffs and buildings. Hardy and an early migrant.
§ Range
Western North America
§ Habitat
Open dry country, suburban yards
§ Threats
Habitat loss, pesticide drift.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the say's phoebe is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Maintain western shrub habitats. Skip pesticides.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Say's phoebe
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Sayornis saya
- IUCN Red List — search for Sayornis saya
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Sayornis saya
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
