Tyrant Flycatchers and Allies
Sayornis nigricans
The Black Phoebe is a striking flycatcher, easily recognized by its dark sooty-black plumage contrasting with a bright white belly. This dapper bird is often found near water, where it perches low, scanning for insects. Known for its distinctive tail-wagging, it is a common and conspicuous presence across its range.
Typical adult measurements.
Individuals and populations vary.
01 / The telltale details
Start with shape and behavior. Then look for the smaller details.
Adults are sooty black on the head, breast, and upperparts, with a stark white belly and undertail coverts.
Often maintains an upright posture while perched on low branches or rocks.
Young birds have browner feathers with pale cinnamon edging on their wings and back, and two light brown wing bars.
Features a thin, pointed black bill and black legs and feet.
02 / A place in the world
Black Phoebes are strongly associated with water, inhabiting diverse semi-open environments such as coastal cliffs, riverbanks, lake shores, streams, and irrigation ditches. They adapt well to human-altered landscapes, including parks and suburban areas, as long as water is present.
This species breeds from southwestern Oregon and California, extending south through Central America and into South America, reaching northwestern Argentina. It is also found in parts of the southwestern United States, including Arizona and New Mexico.
Black Phoebes are primarily year-round residents throughout most of their range. However, northern populations may be partially migratory, and some high-elevation populations may move to lower elevations during winter.
03 / Listen a little closer
The song is a thin, buzzy, and often repeated series of whistles. Calls include a sharp, downward-slurred chip or a ringing 'tsip.'
04 / The life behind the feathers
Their diet consists mainly of insects, particularly flying insects such as bees, wasps, flies, beetles, and grasshoppers. They occasionally supplement their diet with spiders, small minnows, or other aquatic invertebrates.
Black Phoebes employ a 'sit-and-wait' foraging strategy, perching on low, exposed spots to scan for prey. They sally out in quick, darting flights to catch insects in mid-air, sometimes hovering or gleaning insects from surfaces or the water.
Nests are open, cup-shaped structures made of mud, grass, and plant fibers, often plastered onto vertical surfaces under overhangs. Common nest sites include cliffs, bridges, culverts, and building eaves, typically near water sources. The female constructs the nest, often reusing sites annually.
These birds are territorial and generally solitary outside of the breeding season. They are known for their constant tail-wagging while perched. During breeding, males may present potential nest sites to females, who make the final selection.
One more reason to pay attention
Male Black Phoebes show females potential nest sites by hovering in front of them, but the female makes the final decision and builds the nest.
Black Phoebes have been observed catching small minnows from the water's surface and may even feed them to their nestlings.
The oldest recorded Black Phoebe lived to be at least 8 years old.
05 / An eye for the difference
Eastern Phoebes are generally grayish-brown above with a whitish, dingy underpart, lacking the stark black and white contrast of the Black Phoebe.
Say's Phoebes have gray-brown upperparts and a rust-colored belly, distinguishing them from the Black Phoebe's black and white plumage.
AI-assisted species research. Prepared September 2026. Details can vary across regions and populations.