The eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) name phoebe is an alternative for the Roman moon-goddess Diana, but phoebe may also have been chosen to imitate the bird's call. It breeds in eastern North America, wintering in the southernmost United States and Central America. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. These birds are not very tolerant of each other, and tend to spend most of their time alone, even when breeding. The eastern phoebe was the first North American bird to be banded for study. John James Audubon banded an individual with a silvered thread in 1804, so he could document this bird's return the following spring.
