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Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Family: TYRANNIDAE
Order: Passeriformes
Spanish Common Name: Mosquero fibi
French Common Name: Moucherolle phébi
(c) Glen Tepke |
Courtesy Kenn Kaufman |
Annual Population Indices |
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Conservation Status
Global Population: 16,000,000
Continental Population: 16,000,000
Watchlist Status: 
Audubon State of the Birds Status: no current conservation concerns
Although plainly colored, the Eastern Phoebe is a common and conspicuous flycatcher found in semi-open habitats near water and woods. Its emphatic “Fee-bee!” inspired this songbird’s name, and announces spring for many North Americans. Capable of nesting on a variety of artificial structures, and tolerant of human presence, Eastern Phoebe populations are on the rise. John James Audubon tied wire to the legs of Eastern Phoebe nestlings for the first banding study in North America.
Range & Distribution
The Eastern Phoebe’s range is wide. Where it can find nesting sites, this phoebe breeds from Texas to the northern Canadian provinces and then east to the Atlantic Ocean. It winters south of the line from the Carolinas through Texas, and then into much of Mexico.
A legend for the range map to the right can be found here.
Population Status & Trends
Since 1979, Breeding Bird Surveys and Christmas Bird Counts have predominantly recorded increases in Eastern Phoebe populations. Significant but temporary regional declines have been attributed to harsh winters.
An explanation of the Annual Indices graph displayed to the right can be found here.
Conservation Issues & Efforts
Because Eastern Phoebe populations have been increasing throughout an extensive range, management efforts have been focused on wetland habitat and potential threats. Because this phoebe’s success depends largely on human habitation and infrastructure, changes in construction practices could lead to declines. Where nest sites are scarce, nesting platforms have been used by Eastern Phoebes; providing more of these platforms could offset future population declines.
The clearing of brush and thickets from stream sides, farmlands, and yards makes breeding success less likely for the Eastern Phoebe. If the Eastern Phoebe is to continue to thrive, farming practices and public land management need to allow woody vegetation to remain, and to provide alternative water sources when wetlands are disturbed.
What You Can Do
In early spring, look for the Eastern Phoebe along streams and rivers, at the edges of woodlands, and in your backyard.
Support land management that maintains thickets, wetlands, and streams, so that Eastern Phoebes can continue to find suitable breeding habitats.
For actions you can take, including Audubon activities, please visit our resources page.
For More Information
References
Kaufman, Kenn. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, 1996.
Sibley, David Allen. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
Weeks, H. P., Jr. (1994). Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; Retrieved from The Birds of North American Online database.
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