Say’s Phoebe Builds a Nest
(click on a photo to enlarge)
Adult Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya)
A Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya) has been around the house even as it was being built. In one of the garages there were some wires hanging from the ceiling and until the doors were installed, a bird would spend each night perched on those wires. We knew it was there because the floor underneath told us so. We suspected a phoebe. Say’s Phoebes seem to be quite comfortable around buildings. We’ve shared our front porch with one from the day we moved into the house. In fact, every house up here seems to have its resident phoebe. Our phoebe has chosen the end of a large bolt that’s sticking out of one of the beams as a favorite roosting perch. It faithfully returns there most evenings.
But come spring, there is more to a bird’s life than sleeping and eating. A mate must be found and after much trial and error (we watched as reject phoebes were “escorted” out of the area), a mate was found and courtship and nest-building ensued. According to the literature, both sexes check out possible nest sites and we can confirm this for there was much exploration of the porch beams and a lot of “discussion” took place–sounds which we didn’t realize could come from a bird.
At last the decision was made and the female began to build her nest. It was a strange beginning. Looking out the window one day, I could have sworn I saw her pick up a rock and fly to the ledge. Now this piqued my curiosity and I got out the ladder and had a look for myself. I found that a foundation had been laid of bits of mortar left over from house construction and chunks of dried dirt (our soil is quite clayey) intertwined with grass.
The “Foundation”
I couldn’t find anything in the literature about Say’s Phoebes using these materials in their nests. The only mention was that they didn’t use mud which makes sense in this area where water is scarce and a mud source unlikely. Several of my neighbors have nests and each of those I’ve seen have the same rocky foundation.
After the base was finished pieces of grass were brought in and woven into the nest. The cup was lined with feathers. Fortunately there is a window just below and opposite the nest location so I was able to take some videos of the work in progress. Here she is working on the cup having brought in some Gambel’s Quail feathers to make a soft lining for her nest. The donor quail, alas, was taken the day before by a Cooper’s Hawk. Watch how she shapes the cup with her body.
After a week or so, her nest was complete. Looks pretty cozy and safe way up there on that beam.
Ready and Waiting
Sometimes Say’s Phoebes take up to several weeks between nest completion and egg-laying but our lady got right to it and on May 9 laid her first egg. As you can see from the photo, I have to use a mirror to see the eggs.
First Egg
On May 13 she laid the last of her eggs. Usually birds lay one egg a day but she seems to have skipped a day laying a total of four eggs in five days.
The Completed Clutch
We expect the eggs to hatch in the next day or two, so if all goes well, updates will follow.
April 13th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
This is awesome. We have a nest in our front entry. Your video showed the amazing building process…thank you!
June 26th, 2010 at 11:23 am
We have spent the past month watching a pair of Say’s Phoebes. The nest is composed of whatever could be found but the foundation is mud. Our porch is covered in it. It was built on top of the porch light. We watched the babies for about two weeks before they flew away on 6/25. While I didn’t count eggs there were three that did hatch. The babies are still nearby as we have seen them being feed by the parents.