Say's Phoebe

Say's Phoebe Shows Up in Keswick

Say's Phoebe

We were lucky last week to get a call telling us there was a Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) in Keswick.  In spite of the rain a friend and I made the short trip and found the bird immediately.  It was sitting on a play structure in the back yard of the person reporting the bird.  We watched and photographed it from the protection of her deck.  Not all twitches are that easy nor hosts as obliging!

According to Sibley this species is common in expansive open areas such as prairies, tundra, farmland, and playing fields.  Clearly this bird was far from home!  

The Say's Phoebe looks much like our Eastern Phoebe although only slightly larger (19 cm vs. 18 cm long).  In fact, I had to look closely for the orange on the lower breast and belly to confirm it was a Say's Phoebe.  It perched, moved and flew out from the perch after insects the same way our phoebe does.  

Say's Phoebe [Internet Photo]

The Say's Phoebe has a pale gray throat and upper breast, gray-brown wings and upper parts, brown-black tail and is pale rufous on the belly and undertail coverts.  The juvenile is browner and has pale rufous wing bars.  It does not pump its tail like the Eastern Phoebe.  Our visitor showed pale slightly orange-tinged wing feather edges so may have been a young bird.  The Eastern Phoebe does not show any orange, is slightly smaller and has a darker head and white underparts.  What I noticed about this individual is that its head looked darker like the Eastern Phoebe except in good light when you could tell it was light gray.  All 3 photos in this post show a dark head.  The top and bottom photos are of the bird seen in Keswick and it did have a lighter head in good light.

Say's Phoebe

The Say's Phoebe is a western species.  Its summer range covers inland Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta and southern Saskatchewan, and all the western US states.  It winters in coastal California east to Texas and south to much of Mexico.  It is a permanent resident in some of these areas.  

The Say's Phoebe is an active flycatcher.  It feeds on insects and sometimes berries. It builds its nest in a sheltered dry site on a ledge, rock wall, bridge or building.  It builds its nest of grass and fibres and lays 3 to 7 white eggs.  Incubation is 12 to 14 days and is done by the female.  She usually raises 2 clutches.  

The Say's Phoebe is named after an American naturalist, Thomas Say.  This phoebe species breeds farther north than any other flycatcher.  It breeds as far north in Alaska as there are nesting sites.  Sadly the population numbers of this species are declining like many other species of birds.  It is thought that the decline is due to the loss of habitat in its winter range.