Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 6.7 in
17 cm - Weight
- 0.7–0.8 oz
21–22 g
Other Names
- Moucherolle à ventre roux (French)
- Papamoscas ilanero (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Say's Phoebe breeds farther north than any other flycatcher, seemingly limited only by the lack of nest sites. It breeds north past tree line, and may be following the Alaska pipeline even farther north, nesting on the pipeline itself.
Habitat
Grassland
Open country, sagebrush, badlands, dry barren foothills, canyons, borders of deserts, and ranches. Often around buildings. Avoids watercourses and heavy forest.
Food
Insects
Flying and terrestrial insects.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–7 eggs
- Egg Description
- White, sometimes with reddish spots.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with sparse down.
Nest Description
Nest an open cup of rocks, weed stems, grass, plant fibers, spider webs and other items, lined with hair, fibers, paper, or feathers. Placed on ledge with cover, such as in a cave, or on a building or bridge.
Nest Placement
Building
Behavior
Flycatching
Flies from perch near ground and pursues flying insects. Also hovers and gleans insects off of vegetation.
Conservation
Least Concern
Say's Phoebe has benefited from use of human-made structures for nest sites.
Credits
- Schukman, J. M., and B. O. Wolf. 1998. Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya). In The Birds of North America, No. 374 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.