The handsome male Phainopepla is clad in sleek black plumage that inspired its name, a composite of the Greek words phainos (shining) and peplos (robe). The male also has striking white wing patches that are visible as he flies. Female and juvenile Phainopeplas are a more subtle ash-gray, with white edging on their wing feathers instead of the male's bold white patches. Both sexes have bright red eyes, small, short bills, and ragged-looking crests.

Often described as a “black cardinal with a red eye,” the Phainopepla is actually unrelated to the Northern Cardinal. Instead, it belongs to the Silky-flycatcher family, a small group of lustrous-plumaged, mainly fruit-eating birds found only in the southwestern United States and Central America. The Cedar Waxwing is a close relative, and was only recently split into its own family, the Bombycillidae.

One aspect of the Phainopepla's life cycle still remains a mystery.

Nesting in Two Habitats

Unlike other North American songbirds, the Phainopepla breeds during two different seasons — in completely different habitats — AND shows contrasting behaviors in each place.

During late winter and early spring, the Phainopepla can be found in the arid Sonoran Desert of Arizona and California, where pairs defend nesting habitat containing prime patches of native mistletoe, their favorite food. As summer approaches and the desert becomes intolerably hot, Phainopeplas move to cooler, high-elevation oak woodlands and canyons, where another breeding season begins. The Phainopeplas here exhibit more sociable behavior, nesting in loose colonies and feeding peaceably at fruiting trees in small flocks.

Scientists are still unsure if the same individuals breed in both habitats each year, and if this same breeding strategy is used throughout the species' Mexican range. More study is needed to explain this unusual nesting strategy.

The Phainopepla is often heard calling in a rising, slurred “wurp.” Its short, warbled song incorporates bits of other bird songs and sounds, from the harsh shriek of a Red-tailed Hawk to the wing-whirr of a Mourning Dove taking flight.

Wurp call:

Song:

Male Nest-builders

In the Sonoran Desert, Phainopeplas begin to nest in late winter; then pairs nest again in late April and May in a second, higher-elevation habitat (see above for more detail on this dual nesting strategy.) Interestingly, the male Phainopepla selects a nest site and may even begin to build multiple nests before attracting a mate. The nest is a compact cup of plant fibers and stems, twigs, and spider silk, sited on a horizontal branch, tree fork, or even concealed within a clump of mistletoe.

The male engages in courtship displays while nest-building, descending over the nest while dipping his tail and flashing his white wing patches. Once he attracts a female, she inspects the nest, and if she accepts it, will finish the structure with a lining of soft hair and down. She lays a clutch of 2-4 eggs, which she and her mate take turns incubating. Both parents continue to brood and feed the hatchlings, which fledge after approximately three weeks. Fledgling Phainopeplas remain with their parents in a family group for a short time after leaving the nest.

Mistletoe Muncher

While the Phainopepla feeds on a variety of berries, fruits, and small insects, it has a symbiotic association with the desert mistletoe, its chief food during the winter months. This bird's digestive system is modified to quickly and efficiently process large quantities of this low-nutrient food.

As a Phainopepla fills its crop with mistletoe berries, its tiny gizzard processes the berries one by one, shucking off the indigestible skin and squeezing the nutritious pulp and seed into the bird's digestive system. The seeds pass through the Phainopepla quickly, and are excreted in a sticky mass directly onto tree branches in as few as ten minutes after being eaten. In this way, the Phainopepla spreads the mistletoe's seeds among host trees, where they sprout and grow new plants.

During the fall, winter, and early spring, the Phainopepla is found in the dry Sonoran and Mojave Deserts in riparian areas and washes, particularly around trees and shrubs parasitized by desert mistletoe. Once the desert heats up in late spring and summer, this species moves to higher-elevation foothills and woodlands.

Like the Pyrrhuloxia and Vermilion Flycatcher, the Phainopepla is threatened by loss of riparian habitat throughout the American southwest. Many other bird species of conservation concern occur in this habitat, including the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Costa's Hummingbird, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, and Least Bell's Vireo.

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ABC is working to preserve this southwestern habitat on several fronts. We continue our advocacy for the San Pedro River, one of the last major undammed rivers in the American Southwest that runs through the Chihuahuan Desert and the Sonoran Desert in southeastern Arizona.

Our BirdScapes program also protects important southwestern riparian habitats through the Rio Grande Joint Venture, which works in a variety of priority bird habitats and working lands for a suite of migratory and resident birds.

Policies enacted by the U.S. Congress and federal agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have a huge impact on U.S. birds. You can help shape these rules for the better by telling lawmakers to prioritize birds, bird habitat, and bird-friendly measures. To get started, visit ABC's Action Center.

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American Bird Conservancy and our Migratory Bird Joint Venture partners have improved conservation management on more than 8.5 million acres of U.S. bird habitat — an area larger than the state of Maryland — over the last ten years. This is a monumental undertaking, requiring the support of many, and you can help by making a gift today.