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Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Sayornis
Species: nigricans
La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form,
kind, species
Gr. turannos tyrant
La. tyrannus tyrant,
despot, king
La. Sayorins for zoologist
Thomas
Say
La. nigricans blackish,
swarthy |
William Lovell Finley & Herman T.
Bohlman
American Birds, 1907
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About seven inches long. Black or sooty
brown head, breast and back. White underside. White wing linings and outer tail feathers.
Exhibits typical phoebe up and down tail motion.
Year around resident in California, Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas and Mexico.
Builds a mud and grass nest always under something on a wall, bridge
or cliff often directly over, always near water on farms, in towns and some still in
natural formations in California river valleys, its original habitat.
Lays 3-6 white eggs, which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the
nest in about another two weeks. Often raise two broods in a season.
Eats flying insects and skims floating insects on water like the cliff swallow. |
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The Phoebe platform has approximately a 6" by
6" base, approximately a 6" ceiling, an open front and partially open
sides.
Mount platform on the side of a garage, shed or porch under open shelter or an eave over
looking both open spaces and foliage in your back yard from seven to twelve feet high.
Carefully select a location that provides a balance of protection from predators and
elements, access, and visibility. |
| Do not mount in a tree. Make sure objects
that cats and squirrels can climb do not provide access to the nest. The idea is to
simulate a cliff edge. They like to survey a wide berth from their roost. They also like
bird baths Robins, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes,
Say's Phoebes and Song Sparrows
may use this platform. See platforms.
Black Phoebes
William Lovell Finley & Herman T. Bohlman
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