Re: black phoebes in San Juan county? Request for information

[Colby Neuman <crn230 at gmail dot com>]

Hi Lu,

Probably 7 or more years ago while hiking Owl Creek in the Grand
Gulch/Natural Bridges NM area of San Juan Co., my dad and I came across a
Black Phoebe...I think it may have been in March or April, but I really
cannot remember for sure.

Colby


On 12/20/05, L. D. Giddings <seldom74@xmission.com> wrote:
>
> At about 5 p.m. this afternoon I observed a possible black phoebe in a
> field about one mile east of Bluff. I have seen numerous black phoebes
> over the last few years, but I am a little hesitant to ID this bird
> definitively as a black phoebe for three reasons:
>
> 1. The bird was of the correct size and shape as a black phoebe. It was
> roughly the same size as white-crowned sparrows nearby. The back of its
> head rose to a little bit of a peak as shown in Sibleys. It had a very
> dark head, back, chest, and tail, both above and beneath, and was nearly
> pure white on its belly and undertail coverts and not buffy at all. The
> bird did not have an eye ring or wing bars nor any white anywhere other
> than on its underside as previously described. It had black eyes and a
> thin black bill. However, its upper body, rather than being pure black,
> was a very dark gray. Is there some color variation in black phoebes due
> to age, season, or are there sub-species?
>
> 2. The bird's behavior was more or less black phoebe-like. After
> studying the bird through binoculars in good light at about 75' for
> several minutes, I played a black phoebe call. The bird did not respond.
> Out of season, this perhaps is not significant.
>
> 3. According to the range maps in Sibleys and National Geographic, black
> phoebes are not normally found in San Juan county.  Has this specie been
> previously sighted in this county (San Juan county) or in other nearby
> areas?
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Lu Giddings
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