Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens)
About the Phainopepla
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.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 120 recordings for this species: 11 CC BY-NC-SA · 5 CC BY-NC-ND. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in Mexico, United States in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Other birds you can hear here
- Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescensrecording
- Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusrecording
- American AvocetRecurvirostra americanarecording
- American Barn OwlTyto furcatarecording
- American BushtitPsaltriparus minimusrecording
- American Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonotarecording
These are the birds recorded alongside it, not close relatives — the site holds no other member of its genus or family yet.