Say's Phoebe

Overview

Say's Phoebe: Medium-sized, active flycatcher with gray-brown upperparts and head, paler gray throat and upper breast, and pale rufous belly and undertail coverts. The wings and tail are dark gray. Feeds primarily on insects. Weak fluttering flight with shallow wing beats. Hawks from perch, hovers.

Range and Habitat

Say's Phoebe: Breeds from central Alaska, Yukon, and northern Mackenzie south through western mountains to Mexico. Spends winters in California and western Oregon. Frequents open areas such as prairies, tundra, farmlands, and playing fields.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Say's Phoebe breeds farther north than any other flycatcher, seemingly limited only by the lack of nest sites.
The numbers of this bird are declining, probably due to loss of habitat in its winter range.
This bird was named for Thomas Say, the American naturalist.
A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an "outfield", "swatting", "zapper", and "zipper" of flycatchers.

The Say's Phoebe has a large range, estimated globally at 7,200,000 square kilometers. Native to Canada, the United States, and Mexico, this bird prefers subtropical or tropical shrubland or temperate grassland ecosystems. The global population of this bird is estimated at 3,700,000 individuals and does not show signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of Say's Phoebe is Least Concern.