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70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

Eastern Phoebe

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Sayorins
Species: phoebe

La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
Gr. turannos tyrant
La. tyrannus tyrant, despot, king

La. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. Sayorins for zoologist Thomas Say
La. Phoebe mythological Titaness, daughter of Uranus and Gaea

Six or seven inches long. Brown head with slight crest, gray brown back, gray wings with white bars and white underside with yellow tint. Black bill and feet.

Painting of an eastern phoebe on a vine embellished tree branch.

Eastern phoebes exhibit their characteristic up and down tail motion and make an abrupt, harsh note.

Eastern phoebes inhabit woodland and grove edges, shady ravines, river bottoms and if there is something to nest under, in open farm fields and natural plains.

USGS map shows eastern phoebes range in most of the US and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains.

Their breeding range extends across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, throughout the Great Lakes Region, to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia all down the east coast and Appalachia over to the Great Plains. Migrates to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Phoebes feed on moths, flies, bees and other insects which they catch on the fly with a clap of their beak like the swallows do. They also eat berries and various other small fruit.

If your lucky enough to have them in your yard, you can watch them catch insects without the need of a messy feeder. They also like bird baths.

Phoebes typically return to the same place year after year and almost always nest under something.

They build nests of twigs, roots and moss, cemented with mud and lined with grass, hair, and feathers in woodlands near wetlands.

Phoebes often nest on and under bridge beams, or cliff protrusions. 

Painting of eastern phoebe perched on a branch overhanging a stream with a bridge crossing the stream among foliage in the background

They will nest near and with humans on house ledges under eaves and in farm buildings. Their nests have been found in culverts, caves, wells, freight train cars and even a ferry that was in use.

Song of the eastern phoebe written to sheet music by F Schuyler Mathews

Eastern Phoebe Song

Phoebes mate for life. The female lays four to six, more or less, speckled white eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks. They often rear two broods in a season.

The Phoebe Platform has approximately a 6″ by 6″ base, measures approximately 6″ from floor to ceiling, an open front and partially open sides.

Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes to reduce splitting wood.

Install a platform on the side of a garage, shed or porch under open shelter or an eave over looking both open spaces and foliage in your back yard from seven to twelve feet high.

Never install in a tree or near objects that cats and squirrels can climb. Squirrels can leap 8′ horizontally!

Platform nesting birds claim platforms that best simulate ledges on cliff faces which are difficult for predators to scale. They can also scan the surrounding area and below.

If the location is under a roof, porch, eave, open sheds, etc., consider installing this Open Platform.

Visit the open nesting platform page.

Installing the larger platform shelters will likely invite a wider range of platform nesting birds, including phoebes. 

Select to view the Robin Platform web page.

Robin Platform

View or Print the Robin Platform Plans

Robin Platform Plans

Select to view the Mourning Dove Platform web page.

Mourning Dove Platform

View or print the Mourning Dove Shelter plans.

Mourning Dove Shelter Plans

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Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Sayorins
Species: phoebe

La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
Gr. turannos tyrant
La. tyrannus tyrant, despot, king

La. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. Sayorins for zoologist Thomas Say
La. Phoebe mythological Titaness, daughter of Uranus and Gaea

Six or seven inches long. Brown head with slight crest, gray brown back, gray wings with white bars and white underside with yellow tint. Black bill and feet.

Painting of an eastern phoebe on a vine embellished tree branch.

Eastern phoebes exhibit their characteristic up and down tail motion and make an abrupt, harsh note.

Eastern phoebes inhabit woodland and grove edges, shady ravines, river bottoms and if there is something to nest under, in open farm fields and natural plains.

USGS map shows eastern phoebes range in most of the US and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains.

Their breeding range extends across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, throughout the Great Lakes Region, to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia all down the east coast and Appalachia over to the Great Plains. Migrates to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Phoebes feed on moths, flies, bees and other insects which they catch on the fly with a clap of their beak like the swallows do. They also eat berries and various other small fruit.

If your lucky enough to have them in your yard, you can watch them catch insects without the need of a messy feeder. They also like bird baths.

Phoebes typically return to the same place year after year and almost always nest under something.

They build nests of twigs, roots and moss, cemented with mud and lined with grass, hair, and feathers in woodlands near wetlands.

Phoebes often nest on and under bridge beams, or cliff protrusions. 

Painting of eastern phoebe perched on a branch overhanging a stream with a bridge crossing the stream among foliage in the background

They will nest near and with humans on house ledges under eaves and in farm buildings. Their nests have been found in culverts, caves, wells, freight train cars and even a ferry that was in use.

Song of the eastern phoebe written to sheet music by F Schuyler Mathews

Eastern Phoebe Song

Phoebes mate for life. The female lays four to six, more or less, speckled white eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks. They often rear two broods in a season.

The Phoebe Platform has approximately a 6″ by 6″ base, measures approximately 6″ from floor to ceiling, an open front and partially open sides.

Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes to reduce splitting wood.

Install a platform on the side of a garage, shed or porch under open shelter or an eave over looking both open spaces and foliage in your back yard from seven to twelve feet high.

Never install in a tree or near objects that cats and squirrels can climb. Squirrels can leap 8′ horizontally!

Platform nesting birds claim platforms that best simulate ledges on cliff faces which are difficult for predators to scale. They can also scan the surrounding area and below.

If the location is under a roof, porch, eave, open sheds, etc., consider installing this Open Platform.

Visit the open nesting platform page.

Open Platform 

Installing the larger platform shelters will likely invite a wider range of platform nesting birds, including phoebes.

A platform shelter made of pine wood for robins, phoebes and bluejays.

Robin Platform

Assembly drawing with dimensions for a platform shelter.

Robin Platform Plans

Select to view the Mourning Dove Platform web page.

Mourning Dove Platform

View or print the Mourning Dove Shelter plans.

Mourning Dove Shelter Plans

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Eastern Phoebe

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Painting of an eastern phoebe perched on a twig with a moth in its bill.

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Sayorins
Species: phoebe

La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
Gr. turannos tyrant
La. tyrannus tyrant, despot, king

La. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. Sayorins for zoologist Thomas Say
La. Phoebe mythological Titaness, daughter of Uranus and Gaea

Six or seven inches long. Brown head with slight crest, gray brown back, gray wings with white bars and white underside with yellow tint. Black bill and feet.

Eastern phoebes inhabit woodland and grove edges, shady ravines, river bottoms and if there is something to nest under, in open farm fields and natural plains.

USGS map shows eastern phoebes range in most of the US and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains.

Their breeding range extends across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, throughout the Great Lakes Region, to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia all down the east coast and Appalachia over to the Great Plains. Migrates to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Painting of eastern phoebe perched on a branch overhanging a stream with a bridge crossing the stream among foliage in the background

Eastern phoebes exhibit their characteristic up and down tail motion and make an abrupt, harsh note.

They feed on moths, flies, bees and other insects which they catch on the fly with a clap of their beak like the swallows do. They also eat berries and various other small fruit.

To attract phoebes plant blackberry, black cherry, elderberry, juniper and mulberry. They like bird baths.

Eastern phoebes build nests of twigs, roots and moss, cemented with mud and lined with grass, hair, and feathers in woodlands near wetlands.

They nest on and under bridge beams or cliff protrusions and with us on house ledges under eaves and in farm buildings. Their nests have been found in culverts, caves, wells, freight train cars and even a ferry that was in use. They typically return to the same place year after year and almost always nest under something.

Phoebes mate for life. The female lays four to six, more or less, speckled white eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks. They often rear two broods in a season.

Visit the Phoebe Platform Page

Phoebe Platform Shelter

View or Print the Phoebe Shelter Plans

Phoebe Platform Plans

The Phoebe Platform has approximately a 6″ by 6″ base, measures approximately 6″ from floor to ceiling, an open front and partially open sides.

Install a platform on the side of a garage, shed or porch under open shelter or an eave over looking both open spaces and foliage in your back yard from seven to twelve feet high.

Never install in a tree or near objects that cats and squirrels can climb. Squirrels can leap 8′ horizontally!

Platform nesting birds claim platforms that best simulate ledges on cliff faces which are difficult for predators to scale. They can also scan the surrounding area and below.

If the location is under a roof, use the Open Platform.

Visit the open nesting platform page.

Open Platform 

Select to view or print the open platform plans.

Open Platform Plans

Installing the larger platform shelters will likely invite a wider range of platform nesting birds, including phoebes.

A platform shelter made of pine wood for robins, phoebes and bluejays.

Robin Platform

Assembly drawing with dimensions for a platform shelter.

Robin Platform Plans

Photo of mourning dove platform made with blonde pine, also for robins, phoebes and bluejays.

Mourning Dove Platform

View or print the Mourning Dove Shelter Plans.

Mourning Dove Platform Plans

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