December 17, 2011

Black phoebes frequent my vegetable garden. They especially like to perch on my trellises and fence posts. Birding friends tell me they feed on insects as they swoop down from their perches. The black phoebes don’t seem to mind my presence in the garden, often only adjusting their position somewhat as I move about.

Imagine my pleasure recently when twice I observed black phoebes pursue, catch and swallow cabbage moths. The moth eggs, laid on broccoli and cabbage plants yield cabbage worms that devour the leaves. Black phoebes are garden friends.

Read more about black phoebes at All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). Listen to the call that brings a smile each time I hear it.

Photo credit: Andrew Martin