Eastern phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Bird
The eastern phoebe is an early-arriving insectivorous flycatcher that hunts by "sallying" - watching from a low, exposed perch and flying out to seize flying insects, then returning to perch. It favors woodland edges and streamsides, where trees and shrubs supply the low perches and structural cover it uses. In fall and winter, when flying insects are scarce, it supplements its diet with small fruits and berries. It does not eat plant foliage; the plants it depends on provide perch structure and cover.
Plan for this species
Location-fit plant set for Chicago, IL: host and specialist plants first, then nectar, fruit, seed, foliage, and shelter plants that still fit the current and mid-century climate read.
0 essential relationships / 5 supporting plants
Host/specialist links: 0
Forage/pollination links: 1
Shelter links: 4
Relationship roles: 2
American elderberry
Supporting / Fruit plants
Phoebes supplement with small fruits/berries in fall and winter (Cornell, Audubon, ADW); elderberry is among the native fruits taken. No elderberry-specific record, so plausible.
Arrowwood viburnum
Supporting / Shelter plants
Habitat structure, not food. A woodland-edge shrub providing the low perches and cover consistent with phoebe foraging habitat (Audubon, ADW); genus/habitat-level inference.
Black willow
Supporting / Shelter plants
Habitat structure, not food. Streambank willows supply the low exposed perches this sallying flycatcher hunts from (Audubon, ADW); genus/habitat-level inference.
Eastern cottonwood
Supporting / Shelter plants
Habitat structure, not food. Riparian cottonwoods provide the low perches this flycatcher sallies from near water (Audubon, ADW); genus/habitat-level inference.
Red-osier dogwood
Supporting / Shelter plants
Habitat structure, not food. A wet-edge shrub typical of phoebe streamside habitat (Audubon, ADW), offering low perches and cover.
Plants in the catalog
Fruit plants · 1
Phoebes supplement with small fruits/berries in fall and winter (Cornell, Audubon, ADW); elderberry is among the native fruits taken. No elderberry-specific record, so plausible.
Shelter plants · 4
Habitat structure, not food. A woodland-edge shrub providing the low perches and cover consistent with phoebe foraging habitat (Audubon, ADW); genus/habitat-level inference.
Habitat structure, not food. Streambank willows supply the low exposed perches this sallying flycatcher hunts from (Audubon, ADW); genus/habitat-level inference.
Habitat structure, not food. Riparian cottonwoods provide the low perches this flycatcher sallies from near water (Audubon, ADW); genus/habitat-level inference.
Habitat structure, not food. A wet-edge shrub typical of phoebe streamside habitat (Audubon, ADW), offering low perches and cover.
Range
Breeds across eastern and central North America from the Canadian Maritimes and prairie provinces south through the eastern United States, wintering in the southeastern U.S. and Mexico.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife record. Use the source cards below to explore the references that informed its taxonomy, range, conservation, host plants, foraging, and habitat.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/eastern-phoebe
Sources used for this record
This record is compiled from the sources below.
Cornell Lab: Eastern Phoebe
Bird-guide reference for identity, eastern North American range, low-concern status, flycatching diet, building/ledge nesting, and nest-structure garden support.
GBIF: Sayornis phoebe
GBIF backbone record corroborates the accepted name Sayornis phoebe and its eastern and central North American range.
iNaturalist: Sayornis phoebe
iNaturalist research-grade observations corroborate species identity and its eastern North American range.
Wikipedia: Eastern phoebe
Encyclopedia article corroborating taxonomy, range, and breeding lifecycle.