Distant Male Phainopepla
At closer range, I can now hear Phainopeplas singing!! That's a real happy treat!!
I've been using my stock 18 to 135 mm Canon zoom lens on Sabino Canyon Nature Walks because there is so much I need to learn about at short range. However, it is not at all suited for capturing distant birds... This cropped image surprised me. Next week I will switch to a longer zoom lens, my Canon 70 to 300 mm lens that I bought on eBay. Of course, I love watching Ned Harris and other well equipped photographers with their top of the line Canon long distance, fast zoom lenses with Canon's excellent tele-extenders. Right now I am having my roof replaced, so any camera/lens upgrades have to wait another year...;)
I may use my iPhone for close up or group photos. I do wish iPhones had larger batteries, because I need to be sure I am connected to the outside world. I must remember to look into add-on external battery packs for the iPhone 4S.
____________________________________________
From Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phainopepla
Phainopepla Description
The Phainopepla is a striking bird, 16–20 cm long with a noticeable crest and a long tail; it is slender, and has an upright posture when it perches. Its bill is short and slender. The male is glossy black, and has a white wing patch that is visible when it flies; the female is plain gray and has a lighter gray wing patch. Both sexes have red eyes, but these are more noticeable in the female than the male.
Range and habitat
The Phainopepla ranges as far north as central California with the San Joaquin Valley and southern Utah, and south to central Mexico, the interior Mexican Plateau region; the southern edge of the plateau, the transverse mountains is its non-breeding home. It is found in hot areas, including desert oases, and is readily seen in the deserts of Arizona, southern Nevada, and southern California; also the Baja Peninsula, both Baja California-(north), and Baja California Sur where they are only breeding resident birds. Extreme individuals have travelled as far as Canada, with one bird reaching as far north as Brampton in Ontario, Canada.
Diet[edit]
Berries, any small insects, fruits, vegetables. Phainopepla have a specialized mechanism in their gizzard that shucks berry skins off the fruit and packs the skins separately from the rest of the fruit into the intestines for more efficient digestion. So far this is the only known bird able to do this.
Reproduction
It nests in the spring. The eggs are gray or pink and speckled, and the incubation, done by both the male and female, takes fifteen days. The young will be reared by the parents for up to nineteen more days.
Interesting habits
Phainopeplas have been found to imitate the calls of twelve other species, such as the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus).
References
BirdLife International (2012). "Phainopepla nitens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
Weathers, Wesley W. (1983) Birds of Southern California's Deep Canyon ISBN 0-520-04754-0
animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
Chu, M (2001) Vocal Mimicry in Distress Calls of Phainopeplas;
Books
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.
Here's What Cornell Lab Of Ornithology has to say:
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Phainopepla/lifehistory
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.
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.
Habitat: Scrub
Desert, riparian woodlands, and chaparral.
Food:
Fruit
Mistletoe berries, other berries, and flying insects.
Nesting Facts
Clutch Size
2–4 eggs
Egg Description
Round. Light grayish, with small dark speckles.
Condition at Hatching
Helpless with sparse white down, skin grayish black.
Nest Description:
Small, shallow, woven cup of twigs and fibers, placed on a tree limb or fork, or in a clump of mistletoe, typically 2-5 m (6.6-16.4 ft) above ground.
Nest Placement: Tree
Behavior
Foliage Gleaner
Picks berries from mistletoe clusters. Catches insects on the wing, sometimes together with other Phainopeplas. Perches on tops of trees and shrubs.
Conservation status via IUCN: Least Concern
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.
Credits
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.
IMG_3512 - Version 3
Distant Male Phainopepla
At closer range, I can now hear Phainopeplas singing!! That's a real happy treat!!
I've been using my stock 18 to 135 mm Canon zoom lens on Sabino Canyon Nature Walks because there is so much I need to learn about at short range. However, it is not at all suited for capturing distant birds... This cropped image surprised me. Next week I will switch to a longer zoom lens, my Canon 70 to 300 mm lens that I bought on eBay. Of course, I love watching Ned Harris and other well equipped photographers with their top of the line Canon long distance, fast zoom lenses with Canon's excellent tele-extenders. Right now I am having my roof replaced, so any camera/lens upgrades have to wait another year...;)
I may use my iPhone for close up or group photos. I do wish iPhones had larger batteries, because I need to be sure I am connected to the outside world. I must remember to look into add-on external battery packs for the iPhone 4S.
____________________________________________
From Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phainopepla
Phainopepla Description
The Phainopepla is a striking bird, 16–20 cm long with a noticeable crest and a long tail; it is slender, and has an upright posture when it perches. Its bill is short and slender. The male is glossy black, and has a white wing patch that is visible when it flies; the female is plain gray and has a lighter gray wing patch. Both sexes have red eyes, but these are more noticeable in the female than the male.
Range and habitat
The Phainopepla ranges as far north as central California with the San Joaquin Valley and southern Utah, and south to central Mexico, the interior Mexican Plateau region; the southern edge of the plateau, the transverse mountains is its non-breeding home. It is found in hot areas, including desert oases, and is readily seen in the deserts of Arizona, southern Nevada, and southern California; also the Baja Peninsula, both Baja California-(north), and Baja California Sur where they are only breeding resident birds. Extreme individuals have travelled as far as Canada, with one bird reaching as far north as Brampton in Ontario, Canada.
Diet[edit]
Berries, any small insects, fruits, vegetables. Phainopepla have a specialized mechanism in their gizzard that shucks berry skins off the fruit and packs the skins separately from the rest of the fruit into the intestines for more efficient digestion. So far this is the only known bird able to do this.
Reproduction
It nests in the spring. The eggs are gray or pink and speckled, and the incubation, done by both the male and female, takes fifteen days. The young will be reared by the parents for up to nineteen more days.
Interesting habits
Phainopeplas have been found to imitate the calls of twelve other species, such as the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus).
References
BirdLife International (2012). "Phainopepla nitens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
Weathers, Wesley W. (1983) Birds of Southern California's Deep Canyon ISBN 0-520-04754-0
animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
Chu, M (2001) Vocal Mimicry in Distress Calls of Phainopeplas;
Books
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.
Here's What Cornell Lab Of Ornithology has to say:
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Phainopepla/lifehistory
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.
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.
Habitat: Scrub
Desert, riparian woodlands, and chaparral.
Food:
Fruit
Mistletoe berries, other berries, and flying insects.
Nesting Facts
Clutch Size
2–4 eggs
Egg Description
Round. Light grayish, with small dark speckles.
Condition at Hatching
Helpless with sparse white down, skin grayish black.
Nest Description:
Small, shallow, woven cup of twigs and fibers, placed on a tree limb or fork, or in a clump of mistletoe, typically 2-5 m (6.6-16.4 ft) above ground.
Nest Placement: Tree
Behavior
Foliage Gleaner
Picks berries from mistletoe clusters. Catches insects on the wing, sometimes together with other Phainopeplas. Perches on tops of trees and shrubs.
Conservation status via IUCN: Least Concern
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.
Credits
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.
IMG_3512 - Version 3