Black Phoebe

The Black Phoebe is a distinctive, boldly two-toned flycatcher, sooty black to dark gray over the head, back, breast, and wings, sharply set off against a clean white belly and undertail. Almost invariably found near water, this species perches conspicuously on low branches, fence posts, or rocks near streams, ponds, and fountains, from which it darts out to catch insects.

Common and increasingly familiar around human development in the western United States, Black Phoebes readily nest on buildings, bridges, and other structures, especially near a reliable water source and mud supply.

Key Field Marks

• Sooty black to dark gray head, back, throat, and breast contrasting sharply with a clean white belly and undertail coverts
• Small white wing edging visible on some individuals
• Habitual tail-pumping while perched, similar to other phoebes
• Black bill and legs

Similar Species

• No other North American flycatcher shows this sharp black-and-white two-tone pattern, making the Black Phoebe essentially unmistakable within its range.
• Juveniles show cinnamon-buff wing bars but retain the same dark-and-white body pattern.

Black Phoebes are closely tied to water, occurring along streams, rivers, ponds, canals, and even ornamental fountains and pools, from lowlands to mid-elevation foothills. Their range spans the western and southwestern United States (including California, Arizona, and the southern Rockies) south through Mexico and Central America into South America.

Most populations are non-migratory or make only short seasonal movements, and the species has expanded its range northward and into suburban settings in recent decades as available water sources and nest sites have increased.

Voice

Gives a thin, sharp tsip call and a song of alternating high and low phrases often rendered as pee-wee, pee-weet, repeated with variation.

Feeding

Sallies from a low perch near water to catch flying insects, often returning to the same perch, and also picks insects directly off the water's surface in a maneuver resembling a shorebird or swallow.

Nesting

Builds a mud-and-grass cup nest plastered to a vertical surface such as a rock ledge, culvert wall, or building eave, almost always near water for a reliable mud supply; pairs often raise multiple broods per season and may reuse the same nest site for years.