Black Phoebe Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Black Phoebes are small, plump songbirds with large heads and medium-long, squared tails. They often show a slight peak at the rear of the crown. The bill is straight and thin.

  Relative Size

  Smaller than a Western Scrub-Jay; larger than an American Goldfinch.

  sparrow-sized or smaller

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
• Color Pattern

  Black Phoebes are mostly sooty gray on the upperparts and chest, with a slightly darker black head. The belly is clean white, and the wing feathers are edged with pale gray.

• Behavior

  Black Phoebes sit upright on low perches near water and make short flights to catch insects. They pump their tails up and down incessantly when perched. They nest in mud cups anchored in protected nooks, often under a bridge or the eaves of a building. They often keep up a string of sharp chip calls.

• Habitat

  In the U.S., you’ll almost always find these flycatchers near water. They live along streams, rivers, lakes, and the Pacific Ocean—even around cattle tanks. As long as there is water present and some kind of ledge or overhang on which to anchor a mud nest, Black Phoebes could be around.