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The phainopepla is an unusual fruit-eating bird of the southwest, where it lives in deserts and chaparral habitats. A member of the silky flycatcher family, it's easily identified by flashy white wing patches, a distinctive whistled call, a short floppy crest and in males (as shown at right and at the bottom of the page), glossy black plumage setting off the bright red eyes. Females (upper left) are a more subdued gray-brown. These birds were photographed in Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert and in southeastern Arizona. |
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