Say's Phoebe

Sayornis saya

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesForestCavity nestSmall · 21 g

What the Say's Phoebe sounds like

Sonogram of the Say's Phoebe: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Anne · Begging call · Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Say's Phoebe: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Diana Doyle · Call, dawn song, song · 3Canyons Ranch, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

Say's phoebe is a barrel-chested bird with a squared-off head. It is gray-brown above with a black tail and buffy cinnamon below, becoming more orange around the vent. The tail is long and the primaries end just past the rump on resting birds. The wings seem pale in flight and resemble a female mountain bluebird. The juvenile is similar to adult, but has buffy orange to whitish wingbars and a yellow gape. The adult bird is 7.5 in (19 cm) long, has a wingspan of 13 in (33 cm) and weighs 0.75 oz (21 g).

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Say's Phoebe

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Say's Phoebe

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 5 countries with regular records, and 2 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in Belize, St. Pierre & Miquelon.

About the Say's Phoebe

Say's phoebe is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. A common bird across western North America, it prefers dry, desolate areas. It was named for Thomas Say, an American naturalist.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Eastern Phoebe vs Say's Phoebe · Black Phoebe vs Say's Phoebe · Great Kiskadee vs Say's Phoebe

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