Phoebe, << FEE bee, >> is the name of several species of small birds. The name comes from the male phoebe’s call, which sounds like “fee-bee.” The eastern phoebe is common throughout eastern North America in summer. It has a brownish-gray back and a mostly white breast. It measures 61/2 to 7 inches (16 to 18 centimeters) in length. The eastern phoebe nests on rafters and beams, in rocky hollows, or under bridges. It builds a nest of weeds, grasses, and mud, and covers it with mosses. The bird usually lays three to six white eggs with pale brown spots. It eats insects that it catches in flight.
