Common Nesting Birds

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Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)


Photo © Evan Barrientos

Eastern Phoebe eggs

Photo © RenĂ© Corado

Eastern Phoebe

Photo © Sharon Beals, from the collection of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley

Eastern Phoebe nest

Photo © 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Adult with nesting material

Photo © Evan Barrientos

Adult

Photo © Brad Imhoff / Macaulay Library

Adult

Photo © Doug Hitchcox / Macaulay Library

Juvenile

Photo © Jonathan Eckerson / Macaulay Library

Adult

Photo © Ryan Schain / Macaulay Library

Adult

Photo © Bryan Calk / Macaulay Library

Adult

Photo © Takayuki Uchida / Macaulay Library

Adult

Photo © Richard Gray / Macaulay Library

Song

© Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library

Song

© Robert Bethel / Macaulay Library

Song

© Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library

Flight song

© Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library

Calls

© Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library

Calls

© Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library

Calls

© Martha Fischer / Macaulay Library

Calls

© Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library

When To Look

Source: Birds of the World

Where To Find It

Habitats

open woodland

Substrates

Cliff or Rock

In/On Building

What You'll Find

Nest Type

cup

Chick

Altricial

Clutch Size

2
6

Nest Height

15 ft
1 ft

Nesting Statistics

Incubation Period

15-16
days

Brooding Period

16-20
days

Useful Hints

  • Nests are generally located near fresh running water.
  • Eastern Phoebes greatly prefer nest sites that are close to overhead cover (i.e., overhangs, ledges).
  • The female constructs the nest from mud, moss, and leaves mixed with grass stems and animal hair.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology