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A common rural year-round resident in the Imperial
Valley.
Very territorial, this bird will fly in front of you, wait until you approach, then fly off and stop again as it escorts you away from its territory! Like other flycatchers, it will jump up to snatch flying insects and return to its perch - a behaviour known as "hawking." Nearly always found near water, they can be found along the many irrigation ditches here. If you see one perched on an irrigation headgate, you may find its nest of mud built under the wooden beams. |
If you are interested in learning more about this bird online - I recommend you start with the Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/infocenter.htmlThey present photographs, songs, identification tips, maps, and life history information for North American birds - including the Black Phoebe
OTHER OUTSIDE LINKS FOR THIS BIRD:
Black Phoebe Nest - Two terrific photos, including one depicting a nest with nestlings. Displayed by the "Catalina Island Conservancy Intranet" Web site about the natural and social history of Santa Catalina Island in Southern California.
The following "WAV" format sound file is copyrighted by Doug Von Gausig of Sedona, Arizona, as part of "The Sounds of Nature" Web site at www.naturesongs.com:
- http://www.naturesongs.com/phoebe1.wav - Black Phoebe "chip"
This site is maintained by:
Eldon R. Caldwell
Imperial Valley College
Email: eldonc@imperial.cc.ca.us