PHAINOPEPLA (Phainopepla nitens): 7-7 3/4 in. Slender, glossy, black bird with conspicuous white wing-patches; prominent loose crest. Female dark gray; patches in wings light gray. Feeds on mistletoe berries and other fruits and occasionally engages in flycatching, at which it is expert in all seasons. When bird alights, the tail is jerked.

Most likely to be seen in summer in the blue oak belt of the western part of the Yosemite region where it is especially attracted to trees with mistletoe clumps. Inhabits the Lower and Upper Sonoran life zones.

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