Black Phoebe - BirdForum Opus

Subspecies angustrirostris
Photo by Stanley Jones
Oxapampa, Peru, August 2017

Sayornis nigricans

Identification

The Black Phoebe reaches a length of 14cm, and unlike other phoebes, has very contrasting plumage, black on the head, breast, back, wings, and tail, and white on the underbelly and under the wings.

Distribution

Photo by mw_aurora
Santee, California, USA, February 2007

Mountainous areas of South America (Andes of northwestern Argentina, western Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela; coastal mountains of Venezuela); Central America (from Panama to Mexico); southwestern North America (southwestern Oregon and California to west Texas).

Taxonomy

Subspecies¹

• S. n. amnicola - Highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama (Chiriquí)
• S. n. aquaticus - Southern Mexican highlands (southern Chiapas) to Guatemala and Nicaragua
• S. n. angustirostris - Eastern Panama to Colombia, Ecuador, central Bolivia and northern Venezuela
• S. n. latirostris - Andes of southern Bolivia and north-western Argentina
• S. n. nigricans - Highlands of north-eastern Mexico (Tamaulipas) to northern Chiapas
• S. n. semiater - Western US (Oregon) to Baja California and western Mexico (Nayarit)

Habitat

Juvenile
Photo by Andy Bright
Los Angeles, California, USA, July 2005

Highlands near water.

Behaviour

This species spends more time along streams and ponds than the other phoebe species, and is not migratory but stays in its range year-round. Like other phoebes, it continually wags its tail when perched, and waits on open perches before flying out to catch insects.

Diet

The diet includes insects but occasionally fish. It dives into ponds to catch small minnows or other tiny fish.

Breeding

The female builds the nest from grass and mud under a wall, bridge or cliff. The 3-6 white eggs are incubated for about 14 days; the young fledge in about another 14 days. Often two broods are raised in a season.

Vocalisation

Song is a series of phrases, rendered sisee and sitsew, and its call is similar to that of the Eastern Phoebe.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Allaboutbirds

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black Phoebe. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black_Phoebe

External Links

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