Eastern Phoebe

Happy Easter from an Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) voguing for one of our wildlife cameras in a sylvan setting near Library Brook, deep in Rosslyn’s backlands.

Soon the browns and grays of woodland winter will give way to vibrant green, though this bitty bodied (but bigheaded) bird’s gray-brown plumage will change little if at all. The buff underbelly might slightly whiten during breeding season, since a crisper contrast could compel a suitable suitor.

Despite its plain appearance, this flycatcher is often a favorite among eastern birdwatchers. It is among the earliest of migrants, bringing hope that spring is at hand. Seemingly quite tame, it often nests around buildings and bridges where it is easily observed. Best of all, its gentle tail-wagging habit and soft fee-bee song make the Phoebe easy to identify, unlike many flycatchers. (Source: Audubon Field Guide)

While “hope that spring is at hand”resonates right now, I must concede that it was not my wit alone that identified this Eastern Phoebe. I’m an amateur birder, inexplicably handicapped when it comes to identifying our flying friends by sight or by sound. Fortunately our wildlife cameras are astute at documenting, and Apple’s remarkable identification of fauna (and flora) cracks one mystery after another.

Eastern Phoebe Diet

Although the Eastern Phoebe will eat berries and small fruit during cold winter months, its warm weather preference is primarily for insects which is a perk since bats can’t be expected to do *all* the work of keeping Rosslyn pest free.

Insects make up great majority of summer diet; included are many small wasps, bees, beetles, flies, true bugs, grasshoppers, and others. Also eats some spiders, ticks, and millipedes. (Source: Audubon Field Guide)

Of a special note in that list would be the ticks. We’re not especially keen on these itty, bitty blood sucking bugs because they shuttle Lyme disease from wild neighbors to domesticated neighbors with unwelcome efficiency. Let the Eastern Phoebes feast on ticks then!

Eastern Phoebe Homeness

And speaking of domestication, let’s take a look at one of my favorite Rosslyn topics: home. Where does the Eastern Phoebe choose to dwell? 

Nest (built by female) is an open cup with a solid base of mud, built up with moss, leaves, and grass, lined with fine grass and animal hair. (Source: Audubon Field Guide)

Sounds pretty pleasant.

The nest is an open cup with a mud base and lined with moss and grass, built in crevice in a rock or man-made site; two to six eggs are laid. Both parents feed the young and usually raise two broods per year. (Source: Wikipedia)

I find these nests fairly often in Rosslyn’s backlands. Handsome homes, to be sure. And what neither of these sources mention is that the Eastern Phoebe prefers to make its home in woodland edges near waterways when possible. A bird after our own hearts!

Happy Easter to you from this Eastern Phoebe and from Susan, Carley, and yours truly.