Sayornis

The genus Sayornis is a small group of medium-sized insect-eating birds, known as phoebes, in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae.

Taxonomy

The genus Sayornis that was introduced by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854 with black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) as the type species.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The genus name is constructed from the specific part of Bonaparte's name for Say's phoebe, Muscicapa saya, and Ancient Greek ornis meaning "bird".<ref name=job>Template:Cite book</ref> The English Phoebe is a name for the Roman moon-goddess Diana.<ref name=OED>Template:Cite OED</ref>

Description and ecology

They are native to North and South America.

They prefer semi-open or open areas near water. These birds wait on a perch and then catch insects, usually in pairs. Their nest is an open cup sometimes placed on man-made structures.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They aren't fond of dense forests, and prefer low perches.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

They often slowly lower and raise their tails while perched.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Species

The genus contains three species:<ref name=ioc>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
File:Sayornis phoebe -Owen Conservation Park, Madison, Wisconsin, USA-8.jpg	Sayornis phoebe	Eastern phoebe	Eastern North America
File:Black Phoebe - Colombia S4E4664.jpg	Sayornis nigricans	Black phoebe	United States, Mexico and Central America, and parts of South America
File:Say's Phoebe fledgling (14428604837).jpg	Sayornis saya	Say's phoebe	United States and Canada