Verdin

Verdin, adult, at nest

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Verdin, juvenile, AZ, August

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A tiny, active songbird of the arid southwestern United States and northern Mexico, the Verdin is the only North American member of the penduline-tit family (Remizidae). Vocal and often conspicuous despite its size, it builds a large enclosed nest in thorny scrub.

Description

• Small songbird.
• Gray body.
• Yellow face.

• Size: 9-11 cm (4-4 in)
• Weight: 5-8 g (0.18-0.28 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar; male with brighter yellow on face.

Sound

Various calls, including loud chips issued in rapid succession. Song is a three-note whistle.

Conservation Status

Declining across much of range. Land development in southern California has reduced Verdin habitat, and has resulted in the possible extirpation of the species from San Diego County, CA.

Other Names

Auripare verdin (French)
Baloncillo, Párido del desierto (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Verdin builds nests for both breeding and roosting; roosting nests are much smaller. The outer stick shell is constructed mostly by the male, while the female does most of the lining.

• The Verdin's roosting nests help it stay warm in winter. Winter roosting nests have thicker insulation, and may reduce energy requirements for thermoregulation by as much as 50 percent.

• The Verdin builds roosting nests all year round. One pair of Verdins in Arizona was observed building 11 nests in one year.

• During the heat of the desert summer, the Verdin rests quietly in the shaded interior of a shrub, sometimes panting or spreading its wings. Nests built in summer open toward prevailing winds, perhaps to aid in cooling.

Sources used to construct this page:

Webster, M. D. 1999. Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps). In The Birds of North America, No. 470 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.