Eastern Phoebe
Credit: Larry Bond

North American field guide

Eastern Phoebe

Sayornis phoebe

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Identification

Field notes

15-18 cm (6-7") Common east of Rockies in forested areas near streamsides, bridges, farms, roadsides, and towns.

Dark head, no eye ring, no wing bars. Upright posture and tail wagging habit help identify this flycatcher. Told from pewees by its darker head than back and lack of wing bars. Empidonax flycatchers have eye rings and wing bars.

Song: asks "Phoebe?" and then answers "Phoebe!"; sharp chip call.

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

Loading the rebuilt map…

Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Approximate reconstruction of a historical map. Source date unknown.

Geography: Natural Earth
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 2 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Eastern Phoebe

2 rules
Rule 1 15 criteria confidence 7
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?
No · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Flattened · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?
Light area running up the side of the neck or head · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States
result:883-eastern-phoebe:1:1 Source: 883 Eastern Phoebe, row 1
Rule 2 15 criteria confidence 1
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?
No · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Flattened · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?
Light area running up the side of the neck or head · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southwestern United States
result:883-eastern-phoebe:2:1 Source: 883 Eastern Phoebe, row 2