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phoebe

phoebe

1 9.9
A small brownish-gray North American bird that catches insects in the air
  • noun
  • /ˈfiːbi/
  • US
translation icon : phoebe
  • The phoebe has hatched her chicks.
  • the eastern phoebe
  • phoebe bird

Examples

  • - Poor Phoebes.

  • Carmen Scherrer sent a pretty photo of an eastern phoebe dining on insects in vegetation at Lake Bradford.

  • Seasonal patterns of relative abundance for the eastern phoebe, a common Neotropical migrant.

    Academic text (2009)
  • There are finches, both purple and gold, pine siskins and grosbeaks, cardinals and phoebes.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • An example of the way in which data from eBird can be used to describe seasonal patterns of relative abundance for the eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), a common Neotropical migrant, is provided in figure 1.

    Academic text (2009)
  • A black phoebe accompanies me upstream, leaping exuberantly into the air from rocks in the stream after small midges dancing in the sunshine.

  • Say's phoebes search for insects in grassy areas around the ranch.

Synonyms

Sayornis phoebe
vsphoebe
  • Specialized
9.9

A small plain brown bird from eastern North America that catches insects

is the common everyday name for the same bird
Sayornis
vsphoebe
  • Specialized
9.9

A small bird that catches insects and often sits near streams

is a small brownish gray species within that genus
tyrant flycatcher
vsphoebe
  • Specialized
9.9

A large American bird that catches insects in flight

is one small brownish gray species in that much larger family
New World flycatcher
vsphoebe
  • US
9.9

A large American bird that catches insects in flight

is a single small species rather than the whole American flycatcher group

Compounds

Sayornis phoebe
  • Specialized
9.9

A small plain brown bird from eastern North America that catches insects

Surface Forms

phoebe singular
phoebes plural

Etymology

Phoebe comes from the bird's two-note song that sounds like 'fee-bee', so people began to call the bird phoebe. That's why the small brown flycatcher gets a name you can remember — the bird seems to 'say' its own name.