Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans Swainson       Field Guide IDs: NG-294; G-210; PW-pl 42; AW-pl 610; AM(II)-270 Nest Location Nest Type Eggs & Mating System Dev. & Parental Care Primary & 2ndary Diet.. Foraging Strategy F I: 15-17 DAYS ALTRICIAL WALL F? 4 (3-6) MONOG F: 14-21 DAYS MF HOVER & GLEAN BREEDING: Near water in woodland, canyon, suburb, farmland with scattered trees, coastal cliff. 2 (occ 3?) broods. DISPLAYS: In courtship, male performs song flight of fluttering and calling, then slowly descends. NEST: Adherent also on or under other structures; of mud pellets, plant fibers, hair, lined with hair, rootlets, grass, bark. EGGS: White, mostly unmarked, some (last laid) with small red spots. 0.8" (19 mm). DIET: Almost exclusively insects, occ small fish. Regurgitates pellets. CONSERVATION: Winter resident, but wanders after breeding season. Rare cowbird host. NOTES: Often feeds just above water surface. Sexes maintain separate winter feeding territories. In winter, also gleans insects from ground STANFORD. NOTES: Uncommon to fairly common resident throughout campus, being somewhat more common fall through spring than during summer. Nests of mud are attached to eaves or the sides of buildings, occasionally built on ledges. ESSAYS: Bills; Pellets; Passerines and Songbirds REFERENCES: Verbeek, 1975a, b.