Eastern Pheobe

Spring is in full swing and my yard is brimming with the songs of newly arrived migrants, among them the Eastern Phoebe. This small gray flycatcher with whitish throat and belly is not easy to spot on a tree branch, but you’ll know he’s around when you hear his whistled two-note song, phee-bee.

Sometimes he whistles whimsically, as with the joy of a summer breeze. Other times the whistle sounds insistent, like you’re not paying proper attention, so he has to shout, “It’s me!” Whatever the mood of the song, I’m always happy to hear it.

For me, at least, it usually takes practice before I can identify a bird by song. Some birds have similar-sounding notes. For instance, the Black-capped Chickadee also sings a two-note song, fee-bee, which, at first, is difficult to distinguish from Phoebe’s song. Compare the two songs right now at Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Web site:

All About Birds (http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search).

When directly comparing songs, you’ll notice that the chickadee’s sounds more musical, the notes higher and extended, whereas the Phoebe’s song is more clipped and a bit “buzzier” (my term). But what’s obvious with a close comparison is not so obvious when you’re outside and suddenly hear a whistled two-note song!

And don’t forget that the Black-capped Chickadee gets its name NOT from its song but from its call: chick-a-dee-dee-dee! As if you don't already have enough to remember. But that's what makes birding such a challenge and so much fun!

Until next time . . . happy birding!

Georgia Anne