The eastern phoebe is one of three species in the genus Sayornis of the flycatcher family and the only one commonly seen in the eastern United States, especially during the summer months. (CL Ricketson, CC BY 2.0)
The summer heat was still oppressive. Fortunately, one person offered their house for our little meeting. I informed a group of roommates about a new sustainability plan for our senior community. The lively discussion ranged from energy-saving LEDs and expanded composting to electric vehicles and charging stations.
We were about to pack up when a bird caught my eye right outside the large winter garden window. It was perched on a shepherd’s hook, its tail pumping rhythmically before setting out to snatch an invisible insect in the air. I paused to point out the bird.
I could tell that some were unimpressed. It had no flashy colors or distinguishing features such as dark circles or wing bars. In truth there wasn’t much to see, but I was still mesmerized. Bird watchers are like this: a bird doesn’t have to be visually captivating to be interesting.
For the non-observers in the room, I identified it as Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). A few minutes later, after my impromptu monologue about Phoebe’s behavior and diet, I turned my attention back to the sustainability plan. We were done 10 minutes later.
Eastern Phoebes are common here in central Maryland each summer. They belong to the large family of flycatchers. There are two other Phoebes in North America, the Black and the Says – both can only be found in the west, which makes identifying the rather plain-looking eastern bird a little easier for those of us in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The three phoebes are joined by another 33 native flycatcher species on our continent. And that number pales in comparison to the 400 or so species of flycatchers in America combined. They form one of the largest and most diverse bird families in the world.
The Phoebe we saw had a dark, almost black head. The neck, back, wings and tail were a softer gray. The bird had a white throat and an incomplete neck ring. The undersides were a dingy white. After breeding, the bird sheds its skin and the cream-colored undersides give way to a yellow wash. Fresh wing feathers have a thin white leading edge that gives the Phoebe’s folded wings a faintly striped appearance. The sexes look the same. Juveniles have faint orange wing bars that gradually fade.
The hot sun had brought forth the summer insects at full speed. The Phoebe was busy catching them in the flyby and then reattaching them to the hook. Equipped with a slightly flattened black beak and incredible mobility, phoebes are experienced insect catchers. They eat moths and butterflies, cicadas, wasps and other winged insects. Sometimes they eat spiders, often by hovering near a branch and picking up the arachnids there. In cold weather, when insects are scarce, Phoebes turn into seeds or small fruits.
After breeding, the Phoeble sheds its skin and its cream-colored undersides give way to a yellow wash. (Dan Pancamo, CC BY-SA 2.0)
On the perch, Eastern Phoebes usually move their tails up and down, constantly turning their heads to look for their next meal. That pumping tail is perhaps the best field identifier for bird watchers.
These birds are short to medium-sized migratory birds. In winter they live in Mexico and on our Gulf Coast. Some live year-round in an area that stretches from the Delmarva Peninsula across West Virginia down to Georgia. During the breeding season, Phoebes move to the deep south or Mexico to the north this winter, often as early as March. They fan out, stretching across the Mississippi watershed, central and northwestern Canada, and facing east to the Atlantic Ocean, including the entire Chesapeake watershed.
Phoebes live in forests, parks and many suburbs. You can recognize her by her twitching tail and voice, a quick, croaking, whistled “Shree-Dip, Shree-Brr”. Usually it is eponymous translated as “Phoe-Bee”. It resembles the softly lisping “fee bee” of the black-crested tit.
Ostphoeben build their mud and grass trap nests in natural crevices and under overhangs. They are one of the few species that appear to have benefited from the man-made changes in the landscape. The tens of thousands of bridges that span the continent provide the ledges and weather protection Phoebi seek for their nests. Gradually they seem to expand their range to the west and north. Phoebes often return to the same breeding area and sometimes even use the same nest again. The nests are built by the females alone.
As these are mostly short-haul East American migrants, Phoebes are likely to withstand ongoing and accelerating climate changes. Phoebes are not shorebirds, so they are protected from sea level rise. As the planet warms up, the birds are likely to move further north, where many are already breeding. And unlike many western birds, which are at risk from record-breaking droughts and related forest fires, eastern Phoebes are unlikely to suffer from the warmer but wetter weather forecast for the mid-Atlantic, New England and southeastern Canada.
On the way home, I mentally went through the elements of our sustainability plan. She called for renewable electricity, the planting of native trees and bushes, a more carbon-friendly diet, the elimination of plastic bags and bottles, and rethinking of transportation options. It was ambitious. But I had to worry: would it be enough and would it happen quickly enough?
Eastern Phoebe is well equipped for the future. Will we be
Mike Burke, an amateur naturalist, lives in Mitchellville, MD.
The views expressed by columnists are not necessarily those of the Bay Journal.
