Phainopepla nitens
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The phainopepla or northern phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens) is the most northerly representative of the mainly tropical Central American family Ptiliogonatidae, the silky flycatchers. Its name is from the Greek phain pepla meaning "shining robe" in reference to the male's plumage.
The phainopepla is a striking bird, 16–20 cm (6.3–7.9 in) long with a noticeable crest and a long tail; it is slender, and has an upright posture when it perches. Its bill is short and slender. The male is glossy black, and has a white wing patch that is visible when it flies; the female is plain gray and has a lighter gray wing patch. Both sexes have red eyes, but these are more noticeable in the female than the male.
The phainopepla ranges as far north as central California with the San Joaquin Valley and southern Utah, and south to central Mexico, the interior Mexican Plateau region; the southern edge of the plateau, the transverse mountains is its non-breeding home. It is found in hot areas, including desert oases, and is readily seen in the deserts of Arizona, southern Nevada, and southern California; also the Baja Peninsula, both Baja California-(north), and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 12 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Phainopepla sighting in Las Vegas on a given day, based on 442 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 37th most-seen of the 201 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and December–February
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Phainopepla in Las Vegas on a given day, against under 5% in June to August, the lowest months.
Between 5 and 8 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Phainopepla sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Phainopepla sightings, Las Vegas has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Sacramento (United States, about 10%) and Tijuana (México, about 10%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Phainopepla that you can see in Las Vegas (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Northern Mockingbird (about 80%), Great-tailed Grackle (about 80%) and Verdin (about 80%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Phainopepla is recorded against all the birds logged in Las Vegas (442 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
