Say's Phoebe

Sayornis sayaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Codes: Common Name: SAPH Scientific Name: SAYSAY ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178333

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Say's Phoebe

Say's Phoebe: Medium-sized, active flycatcher with gray-brown upperparts and head, paler gray throat and upper breast, and pale rufous belly and undertail coverts. The wings and tail are dark gray. Feeds primarily on insects. Weak fluttering flight with shallow wing beats. Hawks from perch, hovers.

● Song: "pidiweew", "pidireep", "pdeer", "tueeee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Say's Phoebe: Feeds on insects but also eats berries. Flies from perch to catch insects; also hovers above grass when hunting.

● Breeding & nesting: Say's Phoebe: Three to seven white eggs, sometimes brown or red spotted, are laid in a nest made of grass and wool and built in a sheltered, elevated, dry site on a ledge, rock wall, or building. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female. Usually raises one to two, but sometimes three broods per year.

● Similar species: Say's Phoebe: Eastern Phoebe has darker head and whiter underparts.

Flight Pattern

Buoyant fluttering flight with shallow wing beats., Hovers, dips for prey.

● Range & Habitat: Say's Phoebe: Breeds from central Alaska, Yukon, and northern Mackenzie south through western mountains to Mexico. Spends winters in California and western Oregon. Frequents open areas such as prairies, tundra, farmlands, and playing fields.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationFairly common, Stable

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.7 Ounces

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Say's Phoebe

Say's Phoebe

Flight Pattern