That is so funny you said that. The black phoebe is my totem bird. Let me explain:
I'm a professional bird surveyor, and every spring I team up with a bunch of young wildlife biologists to perform breeding bird surveys in an Interior West state. Even though they're in their mid-twenties -- and I'm old enough to be their father -- I still seem to have more energy than they do. In fact, I often come up with little intellectual games as the season is beginning. One such game involves "totem birds."
My definition of a totem bird is one that is a resident of somewhere that you absolutely love. It's the bird that is always there in all your favorite places.
For me, it's the black phoebe. It's now become a recurring joke with my fellow bird surveyors. When we're at a beautiful southwestern oasis, and we see a black phoebe, I always say, "Well, that means I can live here."
The crew this year produced some interesting totem birds. One female claimed hers was the American kestrel. Another, the Bewick's wren. Another, the American dipper. Another (from Iowa), the bobolink. And another, the pine siskin.
But sorry, La Enchiladita, I've already claimed the black phoebe as my totem bird!
Lol!
What about you guys?
Mine would have to be the Black-capped Chickadee for sure. LOVE those little birds and they were the first bird to get me interesting in birding. I had one singing it’s spring time song at 5am in the pitch dark and it woke me up. It did it again the next day and it took me a week to realize what it was and I then proceeded to put up bird feeders.
I also love my Carolina Wrens.
Oh my goodness!!! Well, you have to come live here, lol. The Phoebe makes sure to greet me everywhere I go. I can be walking and have my mind elsewhere but its call penetrates to my consciousness so I look around and there he or she is, usually perched rather low... on a wall or a low twiggy branch or street sign. Then, when I say hello she leaves the branch, dips down and re-alights. Sometimes the Phoebe will fly ahead of me on a walk, from perch to perch. I do not know what this means at all, because I do not love where I live....but the friendship is very special to me.
Mine would have to be the Black-capped Chickadee for sure
Yep, they are mine too...,.I hate the Robins which are my state bird, they poop everywhere and they have an awful squawk as youngsters. In fact the damn things keep begging their parents for food long after all the little birds have grown up........I think they're democrats.
I'd like to see the chickadees replace the robin as our state bird since they stay here the year around while most of the robins head south.......
Once I discovered I had a chickadee in the area, I focused my bird feeding on him. Turns out he had a partner and now there are four of them coming to my feeder........
I've made a couple bird houses for them hoping they will use them but haven't been successful this year.........
I have a bird question. Is there a list (hopefully on-line) that lists the dimensions for bird houses by species? I’m interested in building some, but don’t know the particulars. I live in the Sierra Mtns on US50 between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe @ 4000 feet elevation (near Placerville). About the only birds I see around are bluejays, but then I’m a woodworker not a bird person. Any help would be much appreciated.