Around
1803 John James Audubon tied silver cords on the legs of phoebe
nestlings. The now famous naturalist and painter was living
along the Perkiomen Creek north of Philadelphia, Pa. He carefully
attached the cord to a leg in a manner so as to keep it fastened but
not to hurt the small birds. During the next nesting season,
after migration, he found two of the banded phoebes on their nests
in the same area.
Audubon provided one of the first record of birds leaving the
breeding ground and returning the following season. Thus
he is considered to be the first American to band birds. When
scientists and bird lovers began to study bird migration and
behaviors, banding methods and the banding materials advanced
greatly from the early 1800's practice of using silver cords
on birds' legs. Bands are now made of combinations of
plastic and metal alloys that last through the most harsh
environmental conditions for many years.
I
have no equipment to read or document information from banded birds.
So while I
haven't ever found any phoebes marked for research, this year
(08-09) I have photographed a goldfinch daddy feeding a baby (see
photos) and sporting a band. I deeply regret that I could not
send information back that this banded bird has successfully bred in
our backyard in upstate New York.
...see
goldfinch band
Most of our phoebe pictures were taken with the motion bird cam.
This wonderful camera happily snaps candid bird shots whenever a
bird or creature is active in the area of interest. What a
great invention for bird lovers and anyone who doesn't want to miss
that rare visitor in their backyard.
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Size:
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Length: 6.5-7 in Weight: .7 oz
Wingspan: 10.5-11.5 in
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ID:
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Male: Flycatcher; brownish gray above with
darker gray on head (proportionately large in size), wings and
tail; dark bill; no wing bars; under side mostly white with
grayish olive smudges on sides of breast; no eye ring;
erectile feathers on head but too short for a crest; frequently
pumps tail when perched; black feet anisodactylous (three toes point forward and one toe
points backward)
Female: Similar to male, but
slightly lighter gray
Juvenile: Similar to adult but more yellow on
belly and might have dull wing bars.
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Habitat:
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Near fresh water; open deciduous woodlands; forest edges,
parks and gardens
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Diet:
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Mostly flying insects, but winters on fruit, small fish and
berries, especially poison ivy and poison sumac; may be
attracted to sunflower hearts and suet; particularly fond of
meal worms (verified by the excessive need to refill the
worm feeder and an overworked bird cam)
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Family Behavior:
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Mating Habits: Monogamous and solitary; 2
broods per year
Nests: Cup shaped and made of mud, moss and
lined with grass, leaves and feathers; often placed on rocky
outcroppings or on or in man-made structures (under bridges or under
eaves); may reuse a nest for many years; built by female
Eggs: 4-5 white with occasional reddish
brown spotting; female incubates
16 days
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless, naked,
eyes closed) and stay in nest 14-17 days; fed by both parents
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Social Activities:
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Solitary or in pairs (female may chase male away during egg
laying); distinctive for tail wagging; relatively common and
tame; early spring migrant in Northeast US
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Range:
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Summers in most of southern Canada and eastern US. Winters in
southeast US and Mexico |
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Vocalization:
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Soft fee-bee, frequent delivery, bird named after its song;
call sharp chip
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Lifespan: |
Up to 9 years |
