Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
- GenusSayornis (Phoebes)
- SpeciesSayornis nigricans (Black Phoebe)
About the Black Phoebe
The black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) is a passerine bird in the tyrant-flycatcher family. It breeds from southwest Oregon and California south through Central and South America. It occurs year-round throughout most of its range and migrates less than the other birds in its genus though its northern populations are partially migratory. Six subspecies are commonly recognized although two are occasionally combined as a separate species, the white-winged phoebe.
The black phoebe has predominantly black plumage, with a white belly and undertail coverts. The sexes are identical in color, and juveniles have brown feather tips and brown wing-bars. Its song is a repeated tee-hee, tee ho. It lives in a variety of habitats but is always near water. It is mainly insectivorous and waits on a perch before sallying out and catching its prey in the air. It makes an open cup nest which is placed under a cliff or a bridge and cemented in its place with mud.
The black phoebe is a medium-sized flycatcher, being 16 cm (6.3 in) in length and weighing 15 to 22 g (0.5 to 0.8 oz). It has predominantly black plumage, with white on its belly and undertail coverts. The white forms an inverted... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Black Phoebe in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Myiarchus tuberculifer
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Empidonax flaviventris
Northern Bentbill
Oncostoma cinereigulare
Bright-rumped Attila
Attila spadiceus
Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Tolmomyias sulphurescens
Greenish Elaenia
Myiopagis viridicata
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Elaenia flavogaster
Stub-tailed Spadebill
Platyrinchus cancrominus
Piratic Flycatcher
Legatus leucophaius
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Mionectes oleagineus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black Phoebe in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Phoebe sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black Phoebe in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?
January has the highest sighting rate for Black Phoebe in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in our monthly data.