A Surprise Phainopepla Visited the Stock Pond

Thirsty birds continued to show up there

Phainopeplas are a common site during our Tucson winters. They are highly visible perched atop mesquite and palo verde trees where they have staked out their territory. During the hot summers, they move away from the desert floor to higher elevations. So I was somewhat surprised to see this Phainopepla when I recently visited the stock pond located near the Santa Rita Mountains.

The bird perched on a mesquite tree, not unlike what I see from my backyard every winter. But Tucson’s official elevation is 2,643 feet above sea level. The elevation at the stock pond is 4751 feet above sea level. This bird is definitely summering at a higher elevation along the grassland and mesquite slopes of the Santa Rita Mountain foothills.

Even at this higher elevation, it is still very dry during the summer. Like other birds and animals who live in the desert, Phainopeplas get most of the moisture they need from their diet. These birds famously consume massive amounts of mistletoe berries during the winters, and during the summers they consume berries and any other fruits. Phainopepla are in a family of birds known as “Silky Flycatchers”. They also consume plenty of insects which provide them with moisture. But when water is available, they will not pass up the opportunity to drink.

The water level of the stock pond was a bit lower than when I visited it several weeks ago. A submerged post rose above the water providing a nice perch for the Phainopepla to drink from.

This might be my favorite shot of the series. Crouched down, the bird leans way over to get a tiny bit of water in its bill.

Because birds cannot swallow, rather they scoop water into their bills and then raise their heads up to allow the water to drip down their throat. Some water gets lost in the process.

Down it goes. The bird repeated the process several times.

I’ve heard people refer to these birds as “Black Cardinals” because they resemble the body shape of Cardinals, but they are not at all related. Cardinals are primarily seed eating birds with a thick bill suited for that purpose. Phainopeplas, with their thin bills, are flycatchers who also eat fruit.

For more on this unique bird, read this Tucson Bird Alliance article along with this nice article from Audubon on the unusual nesting habits of Phainopepla