I seem to find Eastern Phoebes most often when I am exploring near the edge of water. Sometimes it will be a tiny stream like the one through Riverwood Conservancy nearest the main buildings. Other times it is near a wooded lake shore near Ottawa. Sometimes it is near a good sized brook, like Sheridan Creek in the Rattray Marsh. This past spring, it was along the pobble-rock beach of Lake Ontario at Jack Darling.
Do Phoebes Only Live and Hunt Near Water?
There’s no rule that says Phoebes need to hunt for insects near water bodies. They are not fishing birds, unlike the Belted Kingfishers I often see in similar locations.
According to bird books, Phoebes do seem to prefer the edges of wooded places where they adjoin more open land. Maybe it’s just a coincidence that the edge places I explore most often are those along water ways?
What Grey Bird Is Perched On That Branch Wagging Its Tail?
Either way, if I see a small bird perched on a bare twig near water, dark above and pale below, my instincts shout Phoebe! Frankly Phoebes always look grey-winged and -backed to me but various sources describe them as brown or brownish-grey. They do not have bright wing bars unlike many other flycatchers. Nor do they have an obvious eye ring. Their underside and front is light coloured often with some grey streaking along their chests and sides. They may have a hint of yellow, too.
Phoebes don’t always perch ‘high’.
And they wag their tails. For some unknown reason, Phoebes bob their tails up and down fairly frequently when they are perched.
It’s only February so it will be another month or two before I see my first Phoebe of the year but I’m already looking forward to it.
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Do Phoebes nest near you? Please share your sighting with a comment.
A phoebe has found a leafless tree just outside of my home and for over a week has been calling for a mate (presumably).
we rescue a baby one that jump to my car that was close to a buildin
we are fiding him with graund meet we dont know what to to
but the vird like us and seem to be calm for now
i need help
I’m sorry I didn’t read your note until July. Thank you for trying to help it.
Should have added it lifts it’s head back for each call
Hopefully it’s only calling after you wake up for the day and not before dawn. : )
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
Eastern Phoebe November 27…1pm. Cool but sunny day…hanging out on barbed wire fence along a cow pasture…heavily wooded and stream 22 feet away….
Chesapeake, VA. (Sorry about omitting location) so excited to add to our first list….
Thanks for sharing the location of your sighting!
How lovely to see one!
What do phoebe nests look like? We have what we think is one that has built a rather messy nest on an outdoor light fixture under the roof eaves. Joan Hudson
That sounds like some of the ones I have seen. They love having a roof over the nest. https://nestwatch.org/learn/focal-species/eastern-phoebe/ has some info but not very good nest photos.
We have a nest on the top of the window frame that was built last year and they have returned this year. Our cat loves to watch them fly back snd forth from her cat tree.
We are just outside of Ottawa, Ontario.
Danbury Wisconsin near yellow river— phoebes nest in the exact spot each year under my eave. it is july 29 and there are still chicks in the nest. I wonder if they do 2 batches of chicks? I wonder where they winter… and how they come to the exact spot each spring ???
Sorry for the slow reply. Phoebes don’t have to go too far south (map at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Phoebe/maps-range shows where they often stop.) How they find the same place each year is truly a mystery though!
I live on a small lake in Tillsonburg, ON. I saw one at my feeder today Jan 4, 2024. I did take a photo so I could identify it. We get a lot of different birds here.