Eastern Phoebe: Early Spring Migrant

On April first we saw an Eastern Phoebe in Luria Park and managed to get a photo of this sparrow-sized bird. He was perched on a branch near the creek (where the bluebird house is located). This early spring migrant is a flycatcher. He perches on a conspicuous branch and then swoops out to catch a tasty insect flying by. The Eastern Phoebe often returns to the same branch or very close by branch to await for another insect to happen by.

From Cornell's website: In 1804, the Eastern Phoebe became the first banded bird in North America. John James Audubon attached silvered thread to an Eastern Phoebe's leg to track its return in successive years.

 Eastern Phoebes breed in wooded areas (particularly near water sources) that provide nesting sites—typically human-built structures such as eaves of buildings, overhanging decks, bridges, and culverts. Before these sites were common, phoebes nested on bare rock outcrops and still do occasionally. They seem to choose nest sites with woody understory vegetation nearby, possibly to make the nest site less visible or to provide perches near the nest for the adult. On migration they use wooded habitats and show somewhat less of an association with water. During winter, Eastern Phoebes occur in deciduous woods, more often near woodland edges and openings than in unbroken forests.