Common Name: Say’s Phoebe
Scientific Name: Sayornis saya
Order/Family: Passeriformes (Perching Birds)/Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
Description: Say’s phoebe is a barrel-chested bird with a squared-off head. It is gray-brown above with a black tail and buffy cinnamon below, becoming more orange around the vent. The tail is long and the primaries end just past the rump on resting birds. The wings seem pale in flight and resemble a female mountain bluebird. The juvenile is similar to adult, but has buffy orange to whitish wingbars and a yellow gape.
Distribution: They are found year-round from western Colorado, southwest to southern California, east to the western panhandle of Texas and south through western Mexico. They breed from Alaska south through western and south central Canada, south through North Dakota, the midwest and to New Mexico and westward. They winter in the desert southwest to southern Texas and south through Mexico to northern Central America. During migration these birds can be found thousands of miles out of range. There are regular fall reports in New England, U.S and Nova Scotia, Canada.
Habitat: These birds prefer dry, desolate, arid landscapes. They can be found on farmland, savanna and open woodlands, usually near water. Often seen on fence lines.
