Say's phoebe (Sayornis saya) is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. A common bird across western North America, it prefers dry, desolate areas. It was named for Thomas Say, an American naturalist.
Taxonomy
Say's phoebe was formally described in 1825 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte from a specimen collected near Pueblo, Colorado. He coined the binomial name Muscicapa saya where the specific epithet was chosen to honour the American naturalist Thomas Say. The species is now placed in the genus Sayornis that was introduced by Bonaparte in 1854.
Two subspecies are recognised: 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.
These birds prefer dry, desolate, arid landscapes. They can be found on farmland, savanna and open woodlands, usually near water. They tend to be early migrants to the western U.S.
Behaviour and ecology
left|thumb|Adult Say's phoebe hunting from a perch
Say's phoebe is similar to the eastern phoebe. It sallies from a perch to catch insects in mid-air. It also hovers American kestrel–like and dips its tail while perched. Say's phoebe also likes to feed just above the water's surface. They eat insects almost exclusively, but have been known to eat berries.
Say's phoebe nest in the typical phoebe fashion. They attach their nests under bridges, canyon walls, wells and abandoned mine shafts. The nest is made by the female and is cup-shaped. It is made of grass, forbs, moss and plant fibers lined with hair and other fine materials. She lays three to seven, but usually four or five, white, mostly unmarked, eggs. Some have red spots. The eggs are roughly . Their breeding grounds are very wide—spanning throughout the western continental North America as far north as arctic Alaska to as far south as central Mexico.
Food and feeding
The diet is primarily insects. However, it is disputed whether honey bees are actually suitable aspects of their diets. Their techniques for catching prey including taking it midair or pouncing on the insects while they are on the ground. They have also been observed to have consumed small fish. The diets of adult Say's phoebes varies from that of nestlings, with the latter consuming a higher share of soft foods. Their singing is characterized as having a very loud pitch to begin and then slowly leveling off into a more steady pitch.