Black phoebe

They are in the genus Saornus, so the other Phoebes are in Saornus as well.

The Eastern Phoebe, the Black Phoebe, and of course the Saze Phoebe, so those three Saornus species in the U.S., which becomes important because of the relationship of Saze Phoebes and Eastern Phoebes in the Midwest, which I'll talk about a little bit, actually.

I think that's a fascinating part of it.

We get Saze Phoebes in Oklahoma here in the western part of the state, not so much in the eastern part, although there are two eBird records in Tulsa County of Saze Phoebe.

End of chapter 2

THE BLACK PHOEBE its name is always phoebe old or young male or female and the bird named itself for fear we might forget and call it susan or maggie or mary or tom or charles it keeps saying phoebe over and over the whole year Each bird calls its mate Phoebe, and the parents call all the young ones Phoebe, and they all together cry Phoebe when they are hungry.

You hear it from the barn or house roof, from low weed stalks, from the top of the garden hydrant, from the woodpile, anywhere from any lookout point.

The plaintiff note comes from the clothesline, where the bird balances, tilting up and down until it can catch sight of that insect again.

At last the Phoebes gave it up and went off to our neighbor's barn.

But they watched their turn, and one day, as soon as the young Linnets had tumbled out of the nest, Phoebe took a place.

Nor did she give it up when Linnet asked her, "'Twice has Linnet had that nest, and five times has Phoebe had it.' each bird relines it before laying her eggs the swallow claimed it last summer as you will see in the swallow chapter the black phoebe is one of our most trustful birds and is resident all over california it lives on insect food and so is a very good friend to the farmer and the housekeeper it is up early for the flies on the screens and under the spouting and sits up late for the insects that love the twilight it has been seen to catch moths and lacewings by lamplight we have not seen the male assist at the nest building but he is always close by to hear the call of his mate he helps to feed the young and to teach them how to fly should they fall in attempting too long a flight for the first time he flies straight down to them and tells us exactly where to find them the young do not leave the nest as early as other birdlings which are hatched from nests in bushes and close trees the phoebes are usually high up and can see nothing to tempt them out of the nest you may see them peeping over in a half-frightened way if they catch sight of you they will bob their heads down behind the nest rim if you climb to the nest and put up your hand expecting to find out how young phoebes would look and feel in the palm of your hand you will be disappointed out will fly all four of them before you touch them and it is surprising what a long journey this first flight usually is they must be surprised themselves how did they know they had wings but you frightened them and the wings of a scared bird seems to grow in half a minute or less They have been seen far down in mineshafts.

The Phoebes do not nest in colonies like the swallows.