SongLark
Bird call
Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) call
A plaintive, down-slurred pee-ur whistle from a fence, barn or rock.
Listen to the Say's Phoebe call
A field recording of the Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) by Tim Messick, shared on iNaturalist. Listen for the Say's Phoebe in farmland, desert and grassland habitats.
Your first course is free, with no ads.
Sounds similar
Birds that sound similar to the Say's Phoebe
These birds belong to the tyrant flycatcher family, like the Say's Phoebe, so their calls can sound alike.
-
Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
A sharp tsip call and a thin two-part pi-tsee, pi-tsew song near water.
-
Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
Sharp kip notes that build into squeaky, bickering chatter from roadside wires.
-
Cassin's Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans
A loud, burry chi-bew or ka-beer from treetops and wires.
-
Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
A rolling ka-brick and a soft, burry prrt from oak and scrub.
-
Western Flycatcher Empidonax difficilis
A sharp, rising, two-part tsee-WEET call, like a question, from shady forest in summer.
Questions
Questions about the Say's Phoebe
What does the Say's Phoebe sound like?
A plaintive, down-slurred pee-ur whistle from a fence, barn or rock. Listen to the recording above.
Which birds sound like the Say's Phoebe?
Black Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, Ash-throated Flycatcher and Western Flycatcher sound similar.
Where can I hear the Say's Phoebe?
SongLark teaches it in its Birds of California course.
How can I learn the Say's Phoebe call?
In SongLark's Birds of California course, it comes in Level 7: Central Valley & Farmland. SongLark teaches it by ear with real field recordings.
Courses
Learn this call in
SongLark teaches the Say's Phoebe in its Birds of California course. Each course plays real field recordings and brings every bird back for review just before you would forget it.
- In Birds of California, the Say's Phoebe comes in Level 7: Central Valley & Farmland. That Level is about fenceposts, orchards and flooded winter fields.
Learn it with these birds in Level 7 of Birds of California
-
Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
A rich, flute-like song that bubbles and gurgles down the scale; Oregon's state bird.
-
Yellow-billed Magpie Pica nuttalli
Harsh, rapid kek-kek-kek chatter and a querulous rising mag? Found only in California.
-
Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
A creaky, wheezy kesh-eee song and a hard tchk call from lawns, fields and car parks.
-
Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus
Harsh, grating notes and short repeated phrases from a wire or the top of a bush.
-
Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
A long, jumbled song of buzzes, trills and clear notes, often broken by a churring rattle.
-
Sandhill Crane Antigone canadensis
A loud, rolling, bugling garoo-oo-oo that carries for miles over fields and marshes.
-
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
A cheerful, twittering warble with a dry rattle; long tail streamers over farms and fields.
Get SongLark
Learn Say's Phoebe in SongLark
Install SongLark, sign in, and choose a course that teaches the Say's Phoebe.
- Your first course is free. When you first sign in, you choose one course to keep.
- On iPhone? SongLark is coming soon to the App Store.
- One account, every device. Your progress syncs between devices.