Texas · Year-round resident

Say's Phoebes in Texas

When Say's phoebes are present in Texas, when they nest, which native Texas plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 6b–10a yard.

Tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae)Say's PhoebeSayornis saya

Status in Texas: Year-round resident
Nesting window: March–June
Broods: 1–3 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 6b–10a

When to expect Say's phoebes in Texas

Say's Phoebes live in Texas all year. Hard freezes are brief outside the Panhandle, so most feeder birds face heat and drought stress more than cold. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward insects in the southern deserts.

Humid subtropical in the east and along the Gulf, semi-arid to arid in the west; long, hot summers and short, mild winters over most of the state.

Nesting in Texas

Across Texas, Say's phoebes typically nest from March–June. Nest site: cup on a sheltered ledge. Females lay 3–7 eggs, incubate for 12–14 days, and young leave the nest after 14–16 days.

Afternoon highs regularly exceed 95°F — nest boxes need shade or light-colored, ventilated construction, and water matters as much as food.

Say's Phoebes don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as live oak, flowering dogwood, serviceberry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native Texas plants that attract Say's phoebes

Of the regional native plants we track for Texas, these 8 provide food or cover Say's phoebes use:

Live oak

Quercus virginiana · Tree

Acorns and a huge insect load for foraging and nestling food.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.

Feeding Say's phoebes through the Texas year

Nests on ledges under eaves in dry open country; an early spring arrival.

Best foods: .
In Texas's winter: Hard freezes are brief outside the Panhandle, so most feeder birds face heat and drought stress more than cold.

Full diet breakdown for Say's phoebes

Frequently asked

Are Say's phoebes in Texas year-round?

Yes. Say's Phoebes are year-round residents in Texas.

When do Say's phoebes nest in Texas?

Nesting in Texas typically runs March–June, with 1–3 per season. Clutches are 3–7 eggs, incubated for 12–14 days.

What native plants attract Say's phoebes in Texas?

Live oak, Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum are native plants in Texas that provide food or cover for Say's phoebes.

Say's Phoebes in other regions

Alaska Alberta Arizona British Columbia California Colorado Idaho Kansas Montana Nebraska Nevada New Mexico North Dakota Oklahoma Oregon Saskatchewan South Dakota Utah Washington Wyoming Yukon

Other backyard birds in Texas

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Eastern Towhee Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird House Sparrow European Starling Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay Bushtit Juniper Titmouse Black-crested Titmouse Anna's Hummingbird Black-chinned Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Lesser Goldfinch Spotted Towhee Canyon Towhee Gambel's Quail Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Black Phoebe Acorn Woodpecker Ladder-backed Woodpecker Cactus Wren Curve-billed Thrasher Verdin Pyrrhuloxia Bewick's Wren White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove White-winged Dove Inca Dove

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.