Black Phoebe

Constantly on guard
for signs of insects about,
and ready to pounce!

~ carliewired

The Black Phoebe is a local resident. About 6 inches in height, it is from the family of flycatchers. I followed this one around the yard at a farm store near the Gila River. The Phoebe likes to be near water and needs mud for building its nest. In this location there was also a large canal and outdoor fountains so the Phoebe was right at home.

It took several vantage points in the yard. All the while it was on the alert for something edible in the grass. Suddenly it would dive to the grass and snatch whatever insect life it had found there. Then back to the perch to watch again.

We don't have these in Canada. They would seem to prefer warmer locations overall. These don't come into one's bird feeder either. Apparently, they would be happy to scout out your premises for insects but will pass on the seeds.