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Bird name:

Eastern Phoebe

Sayornis phoebeOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)
Codes: Common Name: EAPH Scientific Name: SAYPHO ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178329

Breeding Location:

Forest, Marshes, freshwater



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester



Breeding Population:



Egg Color:

White, sometimes with red brown spots



Number of Eggs:

2 - 8



Incubation Days:

16



Egg Incubator:

Both sexes



Nest Material:

Mud pellets covered with moss., Lined with grass, weeds, leaves, hair, and feathers.



Migration:

Most migrate



Splitbar

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Attracting Clingers

General

Eastern Phoebe: Small flycatcher with dark gray-brown upperparts and slightly darker wings and tail. Underparts are pale with hint of olive-brown or yellow on sides and breast. Bill, legs, and feet are black. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

Eastern Phoebe: Breeds north of the Mason-Dixon Line in North America; spends winters as far north as the Ohio River.

Breeding and Nesting

Eastern Phoebe: Two to eight white eggs with occasional red brown spots are laid in a nest made of mud pellets covered with moss and lined with grass, weeds, leaves, hair, and feathers. Nest is normally built on top of an old nest, or attached to a building. Incubation is about 16 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Eastern Phoebe: Feeds on insects, small fish, berries, and fruits. Forages from atop tree branches and other perches, flying out to catch prey in mid-air; also gleans food from foliage, on the ground, and at the water surface.

Readily Eats

Meal Worms

Vocalization

Eastern Phoebe: Call is a "chip" or "FEE-be".

Similar Species

Eastern Phoebe: Eastern Wood-Pewee has darker underparts, yellow lower mandible, two white wing-bars, different voice, and does not pump tail.

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Family Flycatcher (Tyrannidae)_blue
Species Sayornis phoebe
Length7 Inches
Wingspan11.5 Inches

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Phoebe: Small flycatcher with dark gray-brown upperparts and slightly darker wings and tail. Underparts are pale with hint of olive-brown or yellow on sides and breast. Bill, legs, and feet are black. Feeds on insects, small fish, berries and fruit. Weak fluttering bouyant flight.

● Song: "chip";"FEE-be"

● Foraging & Feeding: Eastern Phoebe: Feeds on insects, small fish, berries, and fruits. Forages from atop tree branches and other perches, flying out to catch prey in mid-air; also gleans food from foliage, on the ground, and at the water surface.

● Breeding & nesting: Eastern Phoebe: Two to eight white eggs with occasional red brown spots are laid in a nest made of mud pellets covered with moss and lined with grass, weeds, leaves, hair, and feathers. Nest is normally built on top of an old nest, or attached to a building. Incubation is about 16 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Eastern Phoebe: Eastern Wood-Pewee has darker underparts, yellow lower mandible, two white wing-bars, different voice, and does not pump tail.

Flight Pattern

Weak buoyant fluttering flight with shallow wing beats.
Eastern Phoebe Worn Summer Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Eastern Phoebe: Breeds north of the Mason-Dixon Line in North America; spends winters as far north as the Ohio River.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
Population
MigrationMost migrate
Weight0.7 Ounces
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

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.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX