Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 3.5–4.3 in
9–11 cm - Weight
- 0.2–0.3 oz
5–8 g
Other Names
- Auripare verdin (French)
- Baloncillo, Párido del desierto (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Verdin builds nests for both breeding and roosting; roosting nests are much smaller. The outer stick shell is constructed mostly by the male, while the female does most of the lining.
- The Verdin's roosting nests help it stay warm in winter. Winter roosting nests have thicker insulation, and may reduce energy requirements for thermoregulation by as much as 50 percent.
- The Verdin builds roosting nests all year round. One pair of Verdins in Arizona was observed building 11 nests in one year.
- During the heat of the desert summer, the Verdin rests quietly in the shaded interior of a shrub, sometimes panting or spreading its wings. Nests built in summer open toward prevailing winds, perhaps to aid in cooling.
Habitat
Scrub
Desert scrub, especially along washes where thorny vegetation is present.
Food
Insects
Insects and spiders.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–6 eggs
- Egg Description
- Light greenish, with irregular dark reddish spots, especially at larger end.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless and naked.
Nest Description
Large sphere with a hole usually located near the bottom. Outer shell of sticks, lined with leaves and smaller twigs. Placed in shrub.
Nest Placement
Shrub
Behavior
Foliage Gleaner
Moves actively and nimbly among limbs of scrub vegetation, in a manner resembling that of chickadees. Often holds blossoms with feet while looking and picking at prey with bill.
Conservation
Least Concern
Declining across much of range. Land development in southern California has reduced Verdin habitat, and has resulted in the possible extirpation of the species from San Diego County, CA.
Credits
- Webster, M. D. 1999. Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps). In The Birds of North America, No. 470 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.