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Eastern Phoebe - (Sayornis phoebe)
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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.
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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
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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
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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
Local Breeding Period: Mid-May
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 |
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