Say's Phoebe

Say's Phoebe favours open, arid country, canyons, ranchland, and even quiet urban lots across the western United States and Mexico, where it perches on fences, wires, or rock outcrops and sallies out to snatch flying insects before returning to the same perch. Its soft, plaintive call and habit of pumping its tail while perched make it a reliable identification once you notice the pattern. It can be found year-round across much of its southern range, with the best viewing in open, sparsely vegetated habitat during spring and summer breeding season.