These are pics of a brown-fronted hybrid BlackXEastern Phoebe that has been feeding near a long-time phoebe nesting area on my friend's property near Canon City,CO. Last year there was a brown-fronted hybrid feeding in the area and I expect this is the same bird as this is an unusual plumage (certainly the first I have seen among the many hybrid BlackXEastern Phoebes that are found in my area). Two days ago I saw 2 Black-like Phoebes(difficult to discern hybrids without good views) engage in a fierce battle, rolling in the air as they battled and not stopping until after they hit the ground. I was frankly surprised that one wasn't left injured on the ground but both were gone when I looked. I expect that one was trying to chase the other from this prime feeding and nesting area. The next day two Black-looking Phoebes, behaving amicably as a pair, began feeding near each other (usually 20-30 feet apart but sometimes within a foot or two of each other). You may need to doub...
