Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Say's Phoebe

Say's Phoebe - Sayornis saya

This species is the only bird with a genus and species name derived from the same person. Thomas Say was a naturalist with major contributions primarily in the field of entomology. 
I watched a pair of these phoebes for about ten minutes. One of them, perched on an electrical fence, snatched 4 larger (about one inch) insects in that time. Say's phoebes can derive all their water needs from the insects they eat, and these birds are therefore very comfortable in arid conditions.
May 6, 2013 - Elbow Valley Constructed Wetland
References

The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.

Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.

Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.

Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.

Tudge Colin. The Bird. Crown Publishers. New York. 2008.  


2 comments:

Louise said...

I Say-nice bird!

Louise said...

I Say, nice bird!