Eastern Phoebe (1 Viewer)

Hi, yesterday I was outside taking pictures for a bit and our usual friendly Eastern Phoebe came around to check me out as it often does. It is intrigued by the click of the camera while taking photos. It is always by our pool in Summer and now Winter too. My question is, after browsing my bird book and came upon the phoebe and it saying they are here only here in Summer and move further south into Texas and the very low parts of Oklahoma if any. I live way up in the NE corner of Oklahoma. We have had all sorts of weather including ice storms and very cold temps and it is still here. I checked the internet for ranges of the Phoebe and again I come with same information Summer. does anyone else have some Phoebe's sticking around when they should have migrated South? We do have a mixture of weather so maybe that explains it , just odd that maps say not here during Winter. Hmmmm..any thoughts?

A photo below of the friendly Phoebe, very cute..almost too cute..lol White background is snow.

Black Phoebe

No Idea on your migratory problem but included a pick I took of one in Cabos...

Hey I never did receive your shot of my bird....did you sent it to yahoo or?

Sounds like you have a friend in your phoebe, .....do you feed it or does it just wander in?

Nice close up shot, looks friendly too. I have feed out but I never see it at the feeders. It just hangs around the pool water and by my front porch. I have the windows open now and can hear it talking away. I guess it just decided not a bad place to hang out for Winter. Sent the photo again, hope you receive it.

no photo yet...I will send you another email on private message with my email address...maybe I sent you the wrong one....

Must be the warmer Winter we had this year which I understand has averaged about 8 degrees higher than normal in North Texas. I have a pair of Eastern Phoebes that have nested under my front porch eave for the past five years. They have always arrived sometime in early March and abandoned the nest when the second set of hatchlings finally fly away around mid June and leave all together in the late Fall. This year, however, for the first time, at least one bird remained here all Fall and Winter and I would see him or her from time to time fly under the front porch and check out the nest. About two weeks ago, it was joined by another Phoebe and they started building on top of last year's nest which I didn't remove. My understanding is that the Eastern Phoebe doesn't migrate as far South as other flycatchers and will usually be the first to head back North at Winter's end.

Gary

That is neat Gary, they are interesting flycatchers. I just found out several days ago that my Phoebe has been sleeping at night in an old barn swallows nest on top a light fixture in my husband's shop. Guess I shouldn't have worried about it so much since it seemed to have found a warm spot. I would have never guessed it would take over a barn swallows nest. Boy is it going to be disappointed when they return.

Good to hear about the Phoebe's at your place.

OK_Scissortail said:

I live way up in the NE corner of Oklahoma. We have had all sorts of weather including ice storms and very cold temps and it is still here. I checked the internet for ranges of the Phoebe and again I come with same information Summer. does anyone else have some Phoebe's sticking around when they should have migrated South? We do have a mixture of weather so maybe that explains it , just odd that maps say not here during Winter. Hmmmm..any thoughts?

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Most of my guides show the Eastern Phoebe's permanent range as extending only to the southeastern tip of Oklahoma. But my most recent guide (Peterson) shows it as extending about two thirds of the way up the eastern border of Oklahoma. So your having one winter all the way in the northeastern corner may be a sign of a continuing trend of expansion of its winter range northward. Though this winter was not mild, there is still an overall trend towards global warming. And that might be related.

By the way, one website indicates they occasionally eat fruit. Perhaps that is how they survive during periods of freezing weather.

Best,
Jim

J. Moore said:

Most of my guides show the Eastern Phoebe's permanent range as extending only to the southeastern tip of Oklahoma. But my most recent guide (Peterson) shows it as extending about two thirds of the way up the eastern border of Oklahoma. So your having one winter all the way in the northeastern corner may be a sign of a continuing trend of expansion of its winter range northward. Though this winter was not mild, there is still an overall trend towards global warming. And that might be related.

By the way, one website indicates they occasionally eat fruit. Perhaps that is how they survive during periods of freezing weather.

Best,
Jim

Click to expand...

Jim,

I've been wondering what the Eastern Phoebe that hung around my home this Winter was eating. I've never seen a Phoebe at any of my several bird feeders regardless of the time of year. When they're not sitting on the nest, they will often hang out in my backyard sitting atop the yard fence or on the lawn chairs during the warmer months, but they never use the feeders. I can only assume we must have some flying insects for them to feed on even during the colder months, maybe more so this year due to the much warmer than usual Winter we have experienced in North Texas. My pair have apparently already laid their first batch of eggs and are taking turns sitting on the nest.

Gary

My National geographic field guide also says further south in the Winter, along the Oklahoma/Texas border line and south of there. I have only caught the Phoebe in the barn swallows nest at night and don't see it there during the day so thinking no eggs yet plus I only see one Phoebe. Gary it needs a friend, have any extras? (smile)

I'll keep watching, be interesting if the Barn swallow nest may be used as a nest for the Phoebe to lay eggs. I'll try and get a photo.