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Project Noah Nature School
Phainopepla nitens
Medium-sized songbird. Tall, wispy crest. Slender, with long tail. Male shiny black. Female all gray.
Desert, riparian woodlands, and chaparral
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says this bird rarely drinks water, but as you can see he is at my "watering hole" for a drink of water.
Spotted on Oct 15, 2011
Submitted on Oct 16, 2011
4 Comments
No, they don't have a common name. The word Phainopepla comes from the Greek for "shining robe". It is a very pretty shiney black when the sun is on it.
I hope to see one someday. Anza-Borrego is on our vaca list for the spring!
No common name that I know of. A pair lived in my brother's old back yard near SDSU years ago, but I haven't seen them in the city since then. I've seen them out at Anza-Borrego State Park though. They have a sweet voice.
Nice! Is there no common name for this one?