Overview

Phainopepla: Small, flycatcher-like bird with glossy black body. Head has distinct crest and short, thin, black bill. Wings have large white patches visible in flight. Tail is long. Iris is red. Legs and feet are black. Feeds primarily on mistlestoe berries and small insects. Direct flight is high and fluttery.

Range and Habitat

Phainopepla: Breeds in the northern interior of California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, and southern New Mexico southward into Mexico. Spends winters in the southern part of its breeding range. Primarily found in washes, riparian areas, and other habitats that support arid scrubs.

Breeding and Nesting

Phainopepla: Two to four gray eggs with brown and black spots and blotches are laid in a shallow nest built in a mistletoe-bearing desert tree, usually along a wash or river. Eggs are incubated for 14 days by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Phainopepla: Diet consists of mistletoe berries and insects; undigested seeds in droppings contribute to mistletoe dispersal.

Vocalization

Phainopepla: Common calls include an up-slurred, whistled "hoooeet" and a low "quirk." Song is short and warbled.

Similar Species

Phainopepla: Male is unique. Gray Silky Flycatcher resembles female, but has a gray head and breast, dark gray upperparts, gray-black wings, and dull gray-brown throat.