From the Contact Station February 2023

Black Phoebe Residency

On July 15, 2011, Roger Windemuth wrote the following article for the Friends newsletter. After re-reading it, I thought it would be fun to do an update.  Let’s start with Roger’s article:

“The sharp whistled call of the Black Phoebe is a fairly common sound near streams and ponds of the American Southwest.  This distinctive black and white bird with its tail slowly wagging up and down, perching on a branch and then darting out to catch an insect just above the water is a familiar sight to anyone who lives in that area.  But that is the Southwest!  What are Black Phoebes doing in the Northwest specifically Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge?

While Black Phoebes have been spotted only rarely in the Northwest, never has one been reported nesting in this area, at least in the state of Washington.  This year Ridgefield NWR has been the host to two Black Phoebe nests and one of the nests is currently being re-visited again for another brood.  According to Randy Hill, acting Refuge Manager, there are either two pairs of Black Phoebes or two females and one very busy male. These nests are located on buildings situated near Bachelor Slough and Bower Slough of the River “S” Unit. Ridgefield Black Phoebe

The first nest had four eggs, the second one had five, and the third re-visited nest currently has four more. From the first two broods, at least five birds have fledged last month with the third brood still incubating.  It is difficult to say what will happen to these, at least eight, Black Phoebes, but it is safe to say that some will stay around to enjoy the pleasures of the refuge.”

So, how has our Black Phoebe population been doing?  Black Phoebes can be sighted on the auto tour regularly now.  There are at least five spots which host different individuals.  The first opportunity to see one is in the slough by the gate to the Hunt Unit.  The second is from the back side of the blind.  Next is the area around the bridge across the slough when you walk into the Kiwa Trail. Further along the drive about at #10 on the slough left of the road there is often one flycatching from branches over the water.  The fifth one where I have seen a flycatching Phoebe is on the left of the return road between #12 and #13 where the big trees form an arch over the road.

What got me thinking about this was the Christmas Bird Count.

The Sauvie Circle which includes the Refuge, tallied its first Black Phoebe on 12/15/2002.  The count was started in 1967.  I can’t tell you if that was here on the Refuge or on Sauvie Island because I don’t have that detailed data, but it was in the circle.  The next CBC sighting was on the River S in December 2010.  That one would have been within months of the nesting that Roger talks about above.  Year 2013 saw two; 2018 saw two; then it gets exciting.  In 2019, we counted five Black Phoebe on the River S; 2020, found nine on the Refuge including the River S, Hunt Zone/Kiwa and Bachelor Island; in 2021 we had four on the River S, Hunt Zone and Bachelor Island.  This year we had six on the Refuge but a total of nine on the Washington side of the circle with two south of us in the greater Vancouver Lake Bottoms area and one north of us on the Plas Newydd Farm, a private property, that adjoins the Carty Unit. This is a one-day-a-year survey, but I think it is safe to say it shows sustainability of the Black Phoebe during winter.

I was thinking about our Black Phoebes when we had our December freeze and ice over.  Black Phoebes are basically insectivores.  Except for an occasional berry by some individuals, they prefer flying insects, though they will glean some from surfaces.  Interestingly, some have developed a taste for minnow sized fish and will dive into water in pursuit.  All those food sources would have been limited during the freeze.  It is a risk as phoebes move north and establish themselves as year-round residents.

A quick look at e-bird shows sightings of Black Phoebe as far north as the greater Seattle area these last few months.  There are occasional historical sightings too that go into the Vancouver BC area.  Will this northern trend continue?  The Black Phoebe is associated with water. The e-bird map shows sightings along rivers and wetlands areas including along Puget Sound. To nest, they require a semi-permanent source of water with an accompanying source of mud.  They make a mud structure lined with grasses often associated with building structures, like bridges or pump houses, around water.  We certainly have the right environment for our phoebes as long as a deeply cold winter doesn’t affect their food supply to chase them south, or worse, threaten their lives.  The Black Phoebe isn’t among the threatened species with climate change and may sustain itself just by moving north if it finds the food it needs and the ideal nesting situation.  What will another ten years bring us?

-Susan Setterberg, Contact Station Volunteer