Shining Robe

Did you know that "phainopepla" is greek for "shining robe?" This name was given to the characteristic desert bird, the male phainopepla, who flashes his white wing patches as he flies, a stark contrast to his glossy black feathers. His "shining robe" is a winter classic here in the Coachella Valley, as it is across the Colorado and Sonoran deserts.

As do all creatures, this bird has some fascinating behaviors.  It lives and breeds in the desert from winter to spring, then as the desert heats up and its food source dwindles, it flies to the coast where it has a second breeding cycle.  It is unknown if the same birds breed here and then again on the coast, or if different birds breed here than on the coast.  But regardless, they will all migrate west from here come May.

These distinctive flycatchers do sally for insects, but the primary food source for them here in our desert is the desert mistletoe berry, its main food from October through April. Some studies suggest a single bird ca eat at least 1,100 mistletoe berries in a day!!  As they eat, they are also spreading the seed of this parasitic plant through its favorite perch, the honey mesquite, a common site of the mistletoe.  These beautiful birds have digestive tracts that are specialized to handle the sticky, low-nutrient mistletoe berries.

Fall is marked by the return of that conspicuous crest in silhouette perched high on a mesquite against the brilliant blue autumn sky. It is not unusual for there to be 10 or 15 in a mile-long hike across the desert when mesquite hummocks are present.

Male Phainopepla