Phainopepla Similar Species Comparison

Male

Female

Slender medium-sized songbird with a long tail and shaggy crest. Females are dark gray overall with white edging on the wing feathers. Note red eye.

Male

Consumes a large amount of fruit, which it swallows whole.

Male

Long and slender songbird with a red eye and shaggy crest. Males are entirely glossy black.

Male

Long and slender crested bird of dry woodlands and deserts. Males are glossy black overall, but have visible white wing patches in flight.

Male

Sometimes drinks from temporary pools of water.

Female

Females are dark gray overall with a red eye and a shaggy crest. Note long tail and slender appearance.

Male

Female

Found in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts. Often seen perched on the tops of trees and shrubs.

Juvenile

Male and female

Juvenile

Juveniles look like females, but often have a yellowish bill.

Habitat

Found in dry woodlands and deserts. Often perches on top of tall trees and shrubs giving a rising "wurp."