PHAINOPEPLA. Phainopepla nitens (Swainson)

Field characters.—Body size slightly greater than that of Linnet, but tail longer than body; head crested. Male: Whole plumage black; in flight a large patch of white shows conspicuously on middle of spread wing. Female: Dark grayish brown; wing patch present but obscure. Flight slow, vacillating. Voice: Song of male a rather weak wheezy warble, rambling and intermittent in delivery, interspersed with clear notes; call note a single, low-pitched whistle.

Occurrence.—Resident in small numbers in Upper Sonoran Zone at west base of Sierra Nevada. Frequents blue-oak belt, staying about clumps of mistletoe and other berry-producing plants. Solitary or in pairs.

The Phainopepla is typically a bird of the hot arid southwest and occurs in large numbers in southern California; yet it is also to be found regularly in certain localities along the west base of the Sierra Nevada. Since we found it at Pleasant Valley in May and November of 1915, and near Coulterville in August, 1920, it seems likely that the species is resident, though in limited numbers, within the Yosemite section.

The wing patch of pure white on the otherwise glossy black plumage of the male and the peculiar flight of the bird set it apart sharply in general appearance from any other species in the region. The female is a replica of the male save for her duller coloration.

The whole demeanor of the Phainopepla is suggestive of indecision. The flight is vacillating, and the wing-beats are slow. The bird seems to travel with no idea of directness or of desire to reach a certain destination. Even when perched while being stalked, a Phainopepla although visibly alarmed will show uncertainty as to whether or not it shall leave; it makes several false starts—then suddenly it flutters off, with a befuddled air, in zigzag course, to another perch not far away. A bird seen foraging in a mistletoe clump, or a male seen singing from the upper foliage of an oak, presents a very trim and slender outline; the crest of narrow feathers on the top of the head is usually held erect when the bird is perched.

The song of the male is a rather weak utterance, wheezy or throaty in character, and given intermittently. The intervals between successive warbles are punctuated now and then with the clearer, whistle-like call note.

Some of the birds seen at Pleasant Valley during the last week of May, 1915, exhibited the solicitude to be expected at nesting time, but we did not succeed in finding any nests. Eight Phainopeplas were seen in a 5-hour census on May 24, and fourteen in 3-1/2 hours on May 30, in the territory south and west of the settlement. Males were much more in evidence than females. On November 30, 1915, three Phainopeplas were observed, also at Pleasant Valley, during a period of five hours.