Tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae)
Baby eastern phoebes: from egg to fledgling
A Eastern Phoebe lays 2–6 eggs. They hatch after 15–16 days, and the young leave the nest 16–20 days later — about 31–36 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 2–6 eggs
- Incubation
- 15–16 days
- Time in the nest
- 16–20 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 31–36 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
- Nest
- Mud-and-moss cup on a ledge under an overhang
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (15–16 days): 2–6 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (16–20 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season eastern phoebes mainly eat wasps, beetles and flies.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young eastern phoebes are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1–2 per season. Pairs often start a new nest soon after the first young become independent.
When eastern phoebes nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Alabama (Mar) and latest in Alberta (May). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Mar–Jul |
| Alberta | May–Jul |
| Arkansas | Apr–Jul |
| Connecticut | Apr–Jul |
| Delaware | Apr–Jul |
| Florida | Mar–Jul |
| Georgia | Mar–Jul |
| Illinois | Apr–Jul |
| Indiana | Apr–Jul |
| Iowa | Apr–Jul |
| Kansas | Apr–Jul |
| Kentucky | Apr–Jul |
| Louisiana | Mar–Jul |
| Maine | May–Jul |
| Manitoba | May–Jul |
| Maryland | Apr–Jul |
| Massachusetts | Apr–Jul |
| Michigan | Apr–Jul |
| Minnesota | May–Jul |
| Mississippi | Mar–Jul |
| Missouri | Apr–Jul |
| Nebraska | Apr–Jul |
| New Brunswick | May–Jul |
| New Hampshire | May–Jul |
| New Jersey | Apr–Jul |
| New York | Apr–Jul |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | May–Jul |
| North Carolina | Apr–Jul |
| North Dakota | May–Jul |
| Northwest Territories | May–Jul |
| Nova Scotia | May–Jul |
| Ohio | Apr–Jul |
| Oklahoma | Apr–Jul |
| Ontario | May–Jul |
| Pennsylvania | Apr–Jul |
| Prince Edward Island | May–Jul |
| Quebec | May–Jul |
| Rhode Island | Apr–Jul |
| Saskatchewan | May–Jul |
| South Carolina | Mar–Jul |
| South Dakota | Apr–Jul |
| Tennessee | Apr–Jul |
| Texas | Mar–Jul |
| Vermont | May–Jul |
| Virginia | Apr–Jul |
| West Virginia | Apr–Jul |
| Wisconsin | May–Jul |
Found a baby Eastern Phoebe?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about eastern phoebes
Frequently asked
How long do baby eastern phoebes stay in the nest?
About 16–20 days after hatching. Eggs take 15–16 days to hatch, so it is roughly 31–36 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Eastern Phoebe lay?
2–6 eggs per clutch, with 1–2 per season.
Where do eastern phoebes nest?
Mud-and-moss cup on a ledge under an overhang.
What should I do if I find a baby Eastern Phoebe on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.