Okay, to be honest, I’ve got many favorite birds – but this is one of them. Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). They are consumers of mostly flying insects, with a few that don’t fly, such as ticks, spiders and millipedes. That’s one reason for my vote as a favorite.

A bird that says its name, “Phoebe!” Almost identical to another bird that also says its name, the Eastern Wood-pewee. Listen to hear the difference, as it says, “Pewee!” Another difference, one that I depend on all the time, is the Eastern Phoebe’s flicking of its tail, up and then down, up and then down, most all the time.

The Eastern Phoebe often returns to its nest site year after year. Here at my cabin, places that have been chosen to build a nest have been under the eaves of the wood shop, at the crook of a down spout near the eaves of the cabin, and atop a light fixture on the porch. And some of these nests have been reused time and again.

My own personal insect eradicators.

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