Say's Phoebe - Sayornis saya
General Description
Say's Phoebe is a medium-sized flycatcher: length about 17 cm, body mass 21-22 g. Seasonally and sexually monomorphic. Adult upperparts pale brown gray, head and hindneck darker; tail brownish black and cinnamon colored belly and undertail coverts (Schukman, J. M. and Wolf, B. O. The Birds of North America, No. 374, 1998).
Distribution
Montana Range
Observations in Montana: 873
Montana CountiesBeaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Dawson, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite, Hill, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, McCone, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sanders, Sheridan, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Toole, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, Yellowstone
Migration
Normal migration periods in the Bozeman area are May 7 to May 20 and early August.
Habitat
Open country, prairie ranches, sagebrush plains, badlands, dry barren foothills, canyons, and borders of deserts (Schukman and Wolf 1998).
Food Habits
Primarily flying or terrestrial insects, most frequently wild bees and wasps but also flies, beetles, and grasshoppers. Little vegetable matter (Schukman and Wolf 1998).
Reproductive Characteristics
Requires sheltered ledge or pocket on which to place nest. Eggs are ovate, usually pure white with little or no gloss. Clutch size typically 4-5 eggs (Schukman and Wolf 1998). Nesting records extend from May 11 to July 2. Recently hatched young were seen on July 24 in the Bozeman area.