Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
With inky, jet-black plumage and crimson eyes, the male Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens) shines in the desert scrub of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Often described as a “black cardinal with a red eye,” the Phainopepla is actually unrelated to the Northern Cardinal. Instead, it belongs to the Silky-flycatcher family, a small group of lustrous-plumaged, mainly fruit-eating birds found only in the southwestern United States and Central America. The Cedar Waxwing is a close relative and was only recently split into its own family, the Bombycillidae.
But unlike its relatives, the Phainopepla makes mistletoe berries a staple of its diet, relying on a specialized digestive tract to eat as many as 1,100 berries in a day — an adaptation that allows the Phainopepla to exploit an abundant but low-nutrient resource. The Phainopepla is unique among North American songbirds. It breeds during two different seasons — in completely different habitats — and shows contrasting behaviors in each place. Phainopeplas are even able to time their nesting to coincide with the ripening of their preferred foods.
Also known as:
Capulinero Negro (Spanish)
Phénopèple luisant (French)
Learn more about the Phainopepla at abcbirds.org/bird/phainopepla
With inky, jet-black plumage and crimson eyes, the male Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens) shines in the desert scrub of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Often described as a “black cardinal with a red eye,” the Phainopepla is actually unrelated to the Northern Cardinal. Instead, it belongs to the Silky-flycatcher family, a small group of lustrous-plumaged, mainly fruit-eating birds found only in the southwestern United States and Central America. The Cedar Waxwing is a close relative and was only recently split into its own family, the Bombycillidae.
But unlike its relatives, the Phainopepla makes mistletoe berries a staple of its diet, relying on a specialized digestive tract to eat as many as 1,100 berries in a day — an adaptation that allows the Phainopepla to exploit an abundant but low-nutrient resource. The Phainopepla is unique among North American songbirds. It breeds during two different seasons — in completely different habitats — and shows contrasting behaviors in each place. Phainopeplas are even able to time their nesting to coincide with the ripening of their preferred foods.
Also known as:
Capulinero Negro (Spanish)
Phénopèple luisant (French)
Learn more about the Phainopepla at abcbirds.org/bird/phainopepla
