Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyTyrannidae (Tirànids)
- GenusSayornis (Phoebes)
- SpeciesSayornis nigricans (Black Phoebe)
The black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) is a passerine bird in the tyrant-flycatcher family. It breeds from southwest Oregon and California south through Central and South America. It occurs year-round throughout most of its range and migrates less than the other birds in its genus though its northern populations are partially migratory. Six subspecies are commonly recognized although two are occasionally combined as a separate species, the white-winged phoebe. The black phoebe has predominantly black plumage, with a white belly and undertail coverts. The sexes are identical in color, and juveniles have brown feather tips and brown wing-bars. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Phoebe sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 17 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Myiarchus tuberculifer
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Empidonax flaviventris
Northern Bentbill
Oncostoma cinereigulare
Bright-rumped Attila
Attila spadiceus
Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Tolmomyias sulphurescens
Greenish Elaenia
Myiopagis viridicata
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Elaenia flavogaster
Stub-tailed Spadebill
Platyrinchus cancrominus
Piratic Flycatcher
Legatus leucophaius
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Mionectes oleagineus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black Phoebe in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?
About 2% of wildlife watchers report a Black Phoebe sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 17 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black Phoebe in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?
January has the highest sighting rate for Black Phoebe in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in our monthly data.