She is a pert little bird with a beautiful shape. Look at her finely formed beak and her delicate feet. Note the slight ruffle of feather on the back of her large head, which can form a tiny crest when needed. She is lovely! If we had a video here, instead of a still photo, you would see her wag her tail up and down.
Don't let her pretty looks fool you, though. She is a tyrant!
Phoebes hail from the tyrant flycatcher family, called Tyrannidae. I have always thought this to be such a funny name - as if they were storming around in robes and jeweled crowns, pounding their royal scepters angrily on the ground and shouting "We are not pleased!" But to the wasps, dragonflies, ticks, moths, and spiders they eat - yes, they are definitely tyrants!
I saw Phoebe flitting about a shelter out at camp, and saw her rise to the rafters. She was eyeing me pretty good, and for good reason too.
She had a nest to guard!
Come to find out, Phoebes are notorious for nesting in man-made structures. In this way, mankind has been a boon to them. They don't nest in trees. In the absence of human structures they build nests in the crags of rocks. Sometimes they hover for long periods of time as they build a base for their nest, until it is big enough for them to finally rest in.
Phoebes are usually loners, except during mating. The female builds the nest herself, and often chases the male away during egg laying. Thus we can be pretty sure that this little Phoebe of ours is a female.
Their nests are made with a base of mud, and are lined with moss and grass. This nest is spot on, just as if Phoebe had been reading my field guide and following it point by point.
About a week after my initial photos, I returned, and checked out the area. I was delighted to find these fledgling Phoebes in their nest. They look strange and gangly now, but will soon form into trim, shapely little birds. And they will - no doubt - terrorize the local neighborhood insect population.
Phoebe is a name for the Greek moon godess, who is also known as Cynthia. This name comes from the Greek word "phoibos" which means light and brightness. It is a fitting name for this little bird, whose most familiar call is "feee-beee" on the edges of forests and near wetlands.
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