The genus Sayornis is a small group of medium-sized insect-eating birds, known as phoebes, in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae.

Phoebes
Sayornis phoebe
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Sayornis
Bonaparte, 1854
Type species
Sayornis nigricans[1]
Bonaparte, 1854
Species

See text.

Taxonomy

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The genus Sayornis that was introduced by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854 with black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) as the type species.[2][3] The genus name is constructed from the specific part of Bonaparte's name for Say's phoebe, Muscicapa saya, and Ancient Greek ornis meaning "bird".[4] The English Phoebe is a name for the Roman moon-goddess Diana.[5]

Description and ecology

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They are native to North and South America.

They prefer semi-open or open areas near water. These birds wait on a perch and then catch insects, usually in pairs. Their nest is an open cup sometimes placed on man-made structures.[6] They aren't fond of dense forests, and prefer low perches.[7][8]

They often slowly lower and raise their tails while perched.[9][10][11][12]

Species

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The genus contains three species:[13]

Image Scientific name Common Name Distribution
  Sayornis phoebe Eastern phoebe Eastern North America
  Sayornis nigricans Black phoebe United States, Mexico and Central America, and parts of South America
  Sayornis saya Say's phoebe United States and Canada

References

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  1. ^ "Tyrannidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. ^ Bonaparte, Charles Lucien (1854). "Notes sur les collections rapportées en 1853, par M. A. Delattre, de son voyage en Californie et dans le Nicaragua". Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences. 38: 1–11, 53–67, 258–266, 378–389, 533–541, 650–665 [657].
  3. ^ Traylor, Melvin A. Jr, ed. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 8. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 147.
  4. ^ Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 349. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. ^ "Phoebe". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  6. ^ "Black Phoebe - eBird".
  7. ^ "Eastern Phoebe - eBird".
  8. ^ "Say's Phoebe - eBird".
  9. ^ "Species Spotlight - Eastern Phoebe (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  10. ^ "Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) :: Xeno-canto".
  11. ^ "Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) :: Xeno-canto".
  12. ^ "Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) :: Xeno-canto".
  13. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Tyrant flycatchers". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 29 June 2019.