The Say’s phoebe is a pretty flycatcher that takes off  from a perch to catch insects in mid-air. Their colors are browns and grays with yellow or orange-ish bellies. They have a slight crest on their heads. They can be found in many areas including open fields, canyons, deserts, or around buildings. They avoid heavy forests and watercourse areas. This Say’s phoebe was in my backyard, he would sit on this dead tree looking for bugs and abruptly take off to catch them. It was amazing to watch in action.

The name Say’s comes from Thomas Say, a naturalist interested in birds and insects in the 1800’s, he was the first to describe this bird. He also detailed the orange-crowned Warbler, the Lesser Goldfinch, the Band-tailed Pigeon, the Western Kingbird, and the Lazuli Bunting.