Walking in the Peck Road park on February 2, 2021, I saw a lot of birds on the top of branches from a distance, which is uncommon in this part of the park. I walked away from the bicycle lane and then walked along the high shore of the lake. I saw several Phainopeplas on different branches here and there. All About Birds describes how to find this bird by saying “Phainopeplas are easiest to find in winter, when they can be numerous in desert washes with plenty of mistletoe growing on mesquite. Also look for them in California’s oak woodlands, particularly in the warmer months. They tend to perch high in shrubs or trees, watching for intruders or catching insects.” Male Phainopepla are silky black with an elegant crest and bold white wing patches that appear when the bird takes wing. Female Phainopepla are similar but a subdued gray.
2021年二月2日這天在佩克路公園走路，遠遠看到有不少的鳥在枝頭上，這是平日不常見的。我走離腳踏車的車道，延著高高的湖岸，一路上看到數隻黑絲鶲在不同的樹枝上。《關於鳥類的一切》這樣描述如何找到這種鳥：“最容易在冬天看到黑絲鶲，尤其是在沙漠排水道上會有很多，因為有許多的槲寄生枝條在牧豆樹灌木上。在加州的橡樹林中也可以看到它們，尤其是在溫暖的月份。它們往往高高地棲息在灌木或樹木中，注意入侵者或捕捉昆蟲。” 雄性黑絲鶲是像絲綢一樣的黑色，帶有優雅的冠和張開翅膀可看到顯眼的白色斑塊在翅膀上。雌性黑絲鶲型態與雄性相似，但是是暗淡的灰色。
Notes 筆記
- Phainopepla’s name is from the Greek phain pepla meaning “shining robe” in reference to the male’s plumage.
- The phainopepla is 16–20 cm (6.3–7.9 in) long with a noticeable crest and a long tail. 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.
- Phainopeplas are the only U.S. representative of the family Ptilogonatidae, known as “silky-flycatchers.” They are not related to North American flycatchers; their nearest common ancestors are the waxwings.
- 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 (deserts).
- Their diet consists of berries, any small insects, fruits, vegetables. Phainopeplas have digestive tracts specialized for eating mistletoe fruit. These berries are low in nutrients, so the birds have to consume lots of them. The berries spend only about 12 minutes in a Phainopepla’s intestine, and the birds may eat 1,100 berries in a day. They rarely drinks water. Instead, it gets the water it needs from its diet of mistletoe.
- Phainopeplas adjust their nesting schedule according to when their favored foods ripen. They usually nest in the spring. The eggs are gray or pink and speckled, and the incubation, done by both the male and female, takes fifteen days. The young will be reared by the parents for up to nineteen more days.
- Phainopeplas have been found to imitate the calls of twelve other species, such as the red-tailed hawk and the northern flicker.
- 黑絲鶲的名字來自希臘語 phain pepla，意為“發光的長袍”，指的是雄鳥的羽毛。
- 黑絲鶲長16–20公分（6.3–7.9英寸），有明顯的羽冠和長尾巴。雄鳥是亮黑色，飛行時可見白色有斑塊的翅膀。雌鳥是純灰色的，有較淺的灰色翅膀斑塊。雄鳥及雌鳥的眼睛都是紅的。
- 黑絲鶲是美國唯一絲鶲科的代表，又被稱為“絲鶲”。它們與北美鶲無關；它們最近有共同祖先的是太平鳥。
- 黑絲鶲分佈在北至加州中部, 聖華金河谷 (San Joaquin Valley) 和猶他州南部，南至墨西哥中部，即墨西哥高原內部。在高原的南部邊緣，橫向山脈是它的非繁殖地。在高溫地區(沙漠)中能看到它們。
- 它們的食物有漿果、任何小昆蟲、水果、蔬菜。黑絲鶲有特別的消化道專門用來消化槲寄生的果實。由於這些漿果營養含量低，因此它們必須消耗大量漿果。漿果在黑絲鶲的腸道中僅存12分鐘，它們每天可能會吃掉1100個漿果。黑絲鶲很少喝水，它們通常從槲寄生的食物中獲取所需的水份。
- 黑絲鶲根據自己喜歡的食物成熟的時間來調整築巢時間表。它們通常在春天築巢。蛋是灰色或粉紅色並有斑點，雌雄兩性需要花十五天共同孵化蛋。 雛鳥被父母養育多達十九天。
- 人們已經發現，黑絲鶲會模仿其他十二種鳥的叫聲，例如紅尾鷹和北撲翅鴷。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Phainopepla
- All about birds: Phainopepla
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