Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans

Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans. Photograph taken in the greater Salton Sea area of Southern California, September 2013. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Tom Bartol, Carlsbad, California.

Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans. Photograph taken within the greater Alamos area, Alamos, Sonora, September 2019. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans. Photograph taken in the greater Santa Barbara area, Santa Barbara, California, September 2021. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Tom Bartol, Carlsbad, California.

Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans. Photograph taken in the greater San Diego area, San Diego, California, March 2023.

The Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans, is a member of the Tyrannidae Family of Tyrant Flycatchers. They are small in stature. They are found throughout Mexico except within the coastal areas both the Atlantic Slope and the Pacific Slope in the extreme northern portions of the country at elevations below 3,000 m (9,840 feet). From a conservation perspective the Black Phoebe is currently considered to be of Least Concern with widely distributed populations. They are found close to water in semi-open habitats in canyons, farmlands, streams and towns. They primarily consume a wide variety of insects and on occasion, small fish.