Eastern phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Identification Tips:
- Length: 5.75 inches
- Dark head
- Pale throat and underparts-whitish in Spring, yellowish in Fall
- Grayish-olive upperparts
- Frequently wags tail
- Juvenile has buffy wing bars
- Often builds nest under bridges or around buildings near water
Similar species:
The Say's Phoebe has a paler head and darker underparts. Eastern
Wood-Pewee has more obvious wing bars and does not wag its tail.
Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.