Black Phoebe

The Black Phoebe is a year-round resident and is often seen on a fence post or low branch. From there, it sallies up to snatch an insect from the air and returns to the same perch. This seven-inch flycatcher is all black except for its white belly and thin white lines down the outside of its tail. It has a peaked forehead and a thin, flattened bill.

Juveniles are dark brown underneath and have cinnamon wing bars. The species characteristically pumps or dips their tail while perched. Black Phoebes are seldom seen far from water. This could be a creek, river, marshy pond or irrigation ditch.

From their low perch, they dart out with soft and silent flight then, with an audible click of the bill, snap up a wild bee, ant, wasp, beetle, fly, or moth. They feed almost exclusively on insects but have been seen to snatch small fish now and then. They spit up pellets containing the indigestible parts of insects.

In courtship, the male performs a fluttering flight, singing and calling, and slowly descends. Black Phoebes make a cup nest under an eave, cave, or bridge. This semi-circular nest is strongly attached to the surface and is made with mud, plants, and hair. The female lays four white eggs and incubates them for a little over two weeks. Both parents feed the young. They usually have two broods in a season and, if successful, will use the nest again next year.

First published MCAS The Whistling Swan May 2010