The Eastern Phoebe and the Wood pee Wee are two small songbirds found in North America that belong to the flycatcher family. Though they are similar in some ways, there are key differences between these two species in terms of appearance, voice, habitat, range and behavior. Understanding how to distinguish between the Eastern Phoebe and the Wood pee Wee can be useful for birdwatchers looking to identify these birds in the wild.
Appearance
The Eastern Phoebe is a plump songbird with a large head and short legs. Adults have dark grayish-brown upperparts and paler underparts that are whitish on the belly and light gray on the breast. They have a whitish throat and belly and two distinct pale wingbars. The bill and legs are black. The Wood pee Wee is a slightly smaller and more slender bird with more crisp brownish-gray and buffy plumage. The upperparts are grayish-brown and the underparts are pale gray on the breast and buffy on the lower belly. The Wood pee Wee lacks the distinct pale wingbars of the Eastern Phoebe. The bill is black on top with a pale lower mandible.
Some key physical differences between the two species:
| Feature | Eastern Phoebe | Wood pee Wee |
| Size | Larger, about 6.5 inches long | Smaller, about 5.5 inches long |
| Shape | Stocky, large-headed | More slender |
| Plumage colors | Dark grayish brown and pale gray | Grayish brown and buffy |
| Wingbars | Two distinct pale bars | Lacks wingbars |
| Bill color | All black | Black on top, paler on bottom |
Voice
The voices of these two flycatchers also differ. The Eastern Phoebe has a distinctive raspy, hoarse call often described as sounding like “fee-bee.” The Wood pee Wee has a much softer, rising “pee-wee-eee” call. The Eastern Phoebe frequently repeats its “fee-bee” call, while the Wood pee Wee does not typically repeat its call as often. Eastern Phoebes can also make a chippering call.
Habitat
Eastern Phoebes and Wood pee Wees occupy different habitats in the breeding season. Eastern Phoebes are very closely associated with man-made structures and open rural areas. They are often found nesting under bridges, in barns, and under building eaves. Wood pee Wees prefer more natural forested habitats like open woodlands with some semi-open areas. They typically nest in trees on horizontal branches. Outside of breeding season, the two species may overlap more in habitat use.
Range
While there is some overlap in their breeding ranges, Eastern Phoebes are more predominant in eastern North America while Wood pee Wees are found more in central and western North America.
The breeding range of the Eastern Phoebe extends across eastern North America from Nova Scotia west to the Great Plains, and south to Florida and Texas. The Wood pee Wee’s breeding range stretches from British Columbia through the western United States to New Mexico and Texas. It also breeds in the Great Lakes region and New England.
During the non-breeding season, Eastern Phoebes migrate to the southeastern United States, eastern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Wood pee Wees migrate to Central America and northwestern South America.
Behavior
In terms of behavior, Eastern Phoebes frequently pump and lower their tails. Wood pee Wees do not show this tail pumping behavior regularly. Eastern Phoebes are also highly territorial around their nest sites, aggressively chasing other birds away. Wood pee Wees may defend their immediate nest area but are generally less aggressive.
Both species hawk flying insects from an open perch. However, Eastern Phoebes are more likely to sally out on short flights to capture insects in mid-air. Wood pee Wees mainly capture insects by waiting on a perch and sallying out briefly.
Conclusion
In summary, while the Eastern Phoebe and Wood pee Wee share some general similarities as small flycatching songbirds, there are several key differences between them:
- Eastern Phoebes are larger, stockier, and have a distinctly dark grayish-brown and pale gray plumage with prominent pale wingbars. Wood pee Wees are more petite and slender with crisper grayish-brown and buffy plumage and no wingbars.
- Eastern Phoebes have a raspy “fee-bee” call. Wood pee Wees have a soft, whistled “pee-wee-eee.”
- Eastern Phoebes nest on man-made structures in open areas. Wood pee Wees nest in tree branches in forested habitats.
- Eastern Phoebes have a more eastern breeding range while Wood pee Wees are more central and western.
- Eastern Phoebes frequently pump their tails. Wood pee Wees do not.
Knowing these differences in physical features, voices, preferred habitats, ranges and behaviors can help birders confidently distinguish between these two similar flycatching songbirds when they spot them in the field. With a little practice, identifying whether a small “fee-bee” belongs to an Eastern Phoebe or a whistled “pee-wee-eee” to a Wood pee Wee becomes much easier.
