The Phainopepla, Phainopepla nitens, is the only member of the small family Ptilogonatidae that occurs in the United States. There are four other species that occur farther to the south. It occurs in the southwestern United States and on down to central Mexico.
Although it has some habits similar to flycatchers, it will also take fruits and vegetables in addition to invertebrates.
The only place that I have personally seen this bird was at Joshua Tree National Monument in southern California.
Classification:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Ptilogonatidae
Genus: Phainopepla
Species: P. nitens
Photos:
Phainopepla near Phoenix
"I only got one shot of this bird and this was it, how lucky can you be."
Phainopepla
"Phainopepla at Red Spring, NV 11-25-08. Digiscoped with a Pentax Optio W30 through a Zeiss Diascope FL 85."
female Phainopepla
"canon 40D 100-400mm"
Phainopepla
"Phainopepla - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - Tucson, AZ"
Video:
Commentary:
Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted): Mystery Bird …
In the American southwest, a long-tailed, dusky bird perched at the tip of a dead twig is often a Phainopepla, the darkest and most northerly of the silkies. Shape identifies this bird right away to birders who are the least bit … Read more…
Sabino Canyon: Mistletoe is for the Birds
Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), pronounced fay-no-PEP-la is the most commonly observed bird eating mistletoe berries at Sabino Canyon. The name Phainopepla is Greek for "silky" or "shining robe." The males look like jet-black … Read more…
the phainopepla is about the size of the familiar red cardinal and has a crest but the male is all black and females are gray. as is the case with most birds, the juveniles resemble the females. … Read more…
Mokka mit Schlag » #438 Stalking the Elusive Phainopepla
This weekend there weren’t any local Audubon trips so I decided to go after a specific bird, the Phainopepla, the only Silky Flycatcher whose range extends into the United States. One had shown up practically across the street from me … Read more…
Immediately, the phainopepla took off and hovered between us. Strange, since flycatchers—including our blue friend—could not hover. He chirped his order again, and darted backward into the currents rushing up the cliff face. … Read more…
