Phainopepla

Phainopepla, adult male; Organ Pipe Natl. Monument, AZ

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Phainopepla, adult female; Tucson, AZ

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

A crested songbird of the deserts and arid woodlands of the southwestern United States and Mexico, the Phainopepla is unique in taxonomy, distribution, and behavior. It is particularly notable for its enigmatic pattern of breeding twice each year, in two different habitats.

Description

• Medium-sized songbird.
• Tall, wispy crest.
• Slender, with long tail.
• Male shiny black.
• Female all gray.

• Size: 18-21 cm (7-8 in)
• Wingspan: 29 cm (11 in)
• Weight: 18-28 g (0.64-0.99 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male is black; female is gray.

Sound

Call a rising ?wurp?? Song complex, with at least 14 different identifiable elements, though notes and phrases often seem weak and disjointed. Includes a sprightly, whistled ?wheeda-lay.?

Conservation Status

Habitat loss from conversion of desert riparian areas for agricultural use has led to reductions in the number and size of breeding populations. It is not, however, listed as threatened or endangered, and is increasing in some areas.

Other Names

Phénopèple luisant (French)
Jilguero negro, Capulinero negro (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Phainopepla, when pursued by predators or handled by humans, mimics the calls of other birds; imitations of at least 13 species have been recorded.
• An individual Phainopepla eats at least 1,100 mistletoe berries per day, when they are available.

• The name ?Phainopepla? (pronounced fay-no-PEP-la) comes from the Greek for ?shining robe,? a fitting characterization of the shiny, jet-black plumage of the adult male.

• The Phainopepla exhibits strikingly different behaviors in its two habitats. In the desert, it is territorial, actively defending nesting and foraging sites, while in the woodlands it is colonial, with as many as four nesting pairs sharing one large tree.

• The Phainopepla rarely drinks water, even though research indicates that it loses about 95 percent of its body mass in water per day. Instead, it gets the water it needs from its diet of mistletoe.

Sources used to construct this page:

Chu, M., and G. Walsberg. 1999. Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens). In The Birds of North America, No. 415 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.