phainopepla

bird species, Phainopepla nitens

Also known as: Phainopepla nitens

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

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The phainopepla is a genus of passerine birds native to Mexico and the southwestern United States. The male of the best-known species, Phainopepla nitens, is black, while the female is gray. Both parents incubate the eggs and care for the young. These birds are about 19 cm (7.5 inches) long and have silky feathers, prominent crests, and broad bills. Their diet primarily consists of mistletoe berries, supplemented by insects caught in mid-air. The phainopepla belongs to the family Ptilogonatidae, commonly known as silky flycatchers, which are more closely related to waxwings than to true flycatchers.12

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silky flycatcher
…known of the group, the phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), the male is black and the female gray; both parents incubate the dark-spotted pale gray eggs and help care for the young. Ptilogonys species are gray with yellow sides, and the black-and-yellow silky flycatcher (Phainoptila melanoxantha) is similar, but the male has…
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…known of the group, the phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), the male is black and the female gray; both parents incubate the dark-spotted pale gray eggs and help care for the young. Ptilogonys species are gray with yellow sides, and the black-and-yellow silky flycatcher (Phainoptila melanoxantha) is similar, but the male has…
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