Agua Caliente, Spring 2025, Part II, Songbirds in the Desert.

4/14/2025

Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/1000 sec., f/8.0, ISO 1000,+1.67 EV.

This is my second post on Agua Caliente, the first was on April 5, 2025, on two birds in the air over Pond 1, the Violet-green Swallow and the Neotropic Cormorant. In this post, I will cover some of the songbirds at the park - some seasonal regulars, others migrants.

Let's start with a winter favorite of the desert southwest, the Phainopepla.

Phainopepla

Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/800 sec., f/8.0, ISO 640,+1.33 EV.

Phainopeplas are denizens of the Southwest, living year round in the southern reaches of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, with populations extending well into Mexico. Their name comes from the Greek for "shining robe," after the silky black male, pictured above. They are fruit eaters, eating up to 1,100 mistletoe berries a day. As well, they eat insects, necessary for protein.

Phainopepla are winter regulars in desert washes, where mistletoe lives as a parasitic plant on mesquite, acacia, palo verde, smoke tree and ironwood.

The male is silky black with a flash of white on the wing, which can only be seen in flight, as shown below. The female is grey to brown with the same brilliant red eye.

Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 254mm, 1/3200 sec., f/5.0, ISO 320,+0.67 EV.

Below, likely an immature male in flight, with a black head, gray/black back and a hint of white in the flight feathers.

Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 238 mm, 1/3200 sec., f/5.0, ISO 500,+0.67 EV.

Below an immature male captured at Sabino Canyon in December of 2022. Note that immatures have a hint of yellow on the bill, in addition to the incomplete body coloring.

Canon R6, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/500 sec., f/7.1, ISO 400,+0.67 EV.

It is rare in Tucson to see any two Phainopepla together, aside from breeding in the spring, when I have seen breeding pairs together. However, this month has brought a veritable Phainopepla convention to a water feature in our backyard in midtown Tucson.

The image below is one of hundreds I have captured recently of groups of as many as three males and 5 females all flocking around the water. This cluster of four are all in the same focal plane and sitting reasonably still! The difference in coloration of the males vs. the females is evident in the photograph.

For the photo geeks: These birds move very fast, and although the top of the waterfall is not that deep front to back, it is difficult to get a group in the same focal plane. I got lucky on this shot, they were close enough that at f/7.1 there was enough depth of field.

For the bird nerds: When it gets really hot, birds are drawn to running water in preference to feeders. Granted, both are a good idea for your backyard, but when it gets to 100 degrees, this fountain is a bird magnet!

Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 324mm, 1/2000 sec., f/7.1, ISO 2500, -0.67 EV.

Phainopepla are year round residents of SE Arizona. They have two nesting cycles, the first in the sonoran desert between February and April, and the second beginning in May in oak and sycamore canyons where it is cooler and there is adequate fruit supply. It is uncertain if one pair breeds twice in two separate locations, or if some members nest early and some late, in different habitats. (Ref: Birds of the World).

For an example of early breeding, in March of 2019 a breeding pair nested in the far eastern end of Agua Caliente Park, right next to the utility yards. I was able to find one clear viewing lane that put me well away from the nest and out of sight, yet offered a clear path to mom and her nestlings. Below, mom sitting on ther nest.

Canon 7D Mk II, EF100-400mm with 1.4x Mk III Ext. at 560mm, 1/100 sec., f/8.0, ISO 250, +0.67 EV. on a tripod.

Below, mom looks down at a hungry chick. I was only able to identify one nestling, although there could have been a second off to the side.

I was set up well away from the action on a tripod. Mom started this feeding run with a clump of insects. Protein first for a growing chick!

Above, mom pauses, then below hacks up a berry she has stored in her crop. Almost certainly a mistletoe berry that is abundant on trees in the park.

Above and below, mom feeds her nestling.

Above, she pauses and below brings up a second berry. Yahoo! Two scoops for dessert!

The images above are from my archive, and were posted in April of 2019, 6 years ago, with the title, Fast Food for a Phainopepla Hatchling: Entree and Dessert (with "two scoops") in 10 seconds.

Let's finish up this section with images of an unusual male Phainopepla who by local reports wintered repeatedly in Sabino Canyon around the time of the photographs below, 2016.

This male is partially leucistic, a genetic mutation where the bird lacks melanin in certain areas, in this case the top the head and crest, creating a striking appearance. Note that the bird has the usual white wing patches, seen in the second photo, below and right. Partial leucism is in contrast to albinism, where there is a complete lack of melanin. (Ref: Bird Leucism, Avian Report).

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/2000 sec., f/8.0, ISO 1000,+0 EV.

Formerly considered two different species, Audubon's Warbler in the west and Myrtle's Warbler in the east, the Yellow-rumped Warbler is one of the most common warblers in the U.S. Their extensive range is due in large part to their ability to eat a variety of foods, including fruit as well as insects. Most warblers, including the Red-faced and Painted Redstart that summer on Mt. Lemmon, eat only insects, and in the winter must follow the food south into Mexico. However the Yellow-rumped Warbler can eat fruit, including the waxes in bayberries, which allows them to winter farther north and across the U.S. all the way into coastal Nova Scotia.

Yellow-rumped Warblers molt twice a year, once after breeding in the summer and a second time beginning in January on their wintering grounds in preparation for breeding. The western Audubon variant sports a yellow throat, yellow streak on the head, yellow patches on the flanks, and a yellow rump. The yellow-rump accounts for the common nickname, "butter butt." Males and females are similar, although females may be more muted. This time of year the males are strikingly brilliant.

Below at a suet feeder in our mid-town backyard this past week, we see three warblers, two Yellow-rumped Warblers on the left, with a Yellow Warbler sitting on the right. My guess is that the Yellow-rumps are probably both males.

Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 118mm, 1/4000 sec., f/7.14, ISO 1250,+0 EV.

The suet/nuts mixture is popular.* In the images above and below, the upper male Yellow-rumped dives down for his share of the food showing off his breeding plumage including the bright yellow rump. The male below shows off his yellow throat and flanks.

* The mixture consists of ground peanuts, rendered suet, soy meal, dried mealworms, raisins, cherries and calcium. It is made by The Wild Bird Store at 3160 E. Ft. Lowell, in the shopping center on the SE corner of E. Ft. Lowell and Country Club, in the Winterhaven area.

The male on the feeder stands his ground, and his competitor eventually gives up his approach.

The male at the feeder appears to get quite vocal! Note that the Yellow Warbler on the far side is oblivious to the ruckus.

Birds are born to do four things: Eat (find food), don't get eaten (avoid predators), make more birds (breed), and molt! In addition to avoiding predators, birds will spend much time and energy fending off competitors, who compete for food, lodging (nesting sites), and mates.

The minor kerfuffle seen here appears to be over food, but likely also over dominance during breeding season.

For the photo geeks: This series was shot on April 10th at 5:30pm in my backyard with the sun low in the sky. The house was casting a rapidly advancing shadow. The intruder dove into the shadow, while the intrepid suet defender stayed in the sun. There was not much I could do about the lighting!

Wilson's Warbler

Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/1250 sec., f/8.0, ISO 10000,+0.33 EV.

Wilson's Warblers are small, hyperactive warblers, bright yellow below, olive on the back, with a black cap in the male, olive cap in the female.

Here we see a male at Agua Caliente on March 23rd looking for insects on leaves and branches.

In contrast to the Yellow-rumped Warbler, the Wilson's does not eat fruit, but only insects, and will "follow the food," breeding well to the north all the way up to Alaska in spring and summer, and wintering in Mexico and Central America as northern insect populations die off.

Wilson's Warblers migrate through all of the lower 48 states, including Arizona, where we see them in the fall on Mt Lemmon, and in the spring in the valley, wherever there is food!

Above and below this male frantically hops from branch to branch for food, grabbing something in his mouth in the process. This sequence of 8 images were shot over a span of 6 seconds.

For a review of warblers, worldwide and local, see my post from November 2020, Mt Lemmon October Wrap-up: Warblers, Woodpeckers, Vireos, and a Brown Creeper comes out of hiding.

For the photo geeks: This series was shot early in the morning in deep shadows, accounting for the high ISO.

Lucy's Warbler

Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/2000 sec., f/8.0, ISO 2500,+0 EV.

Lucy's Warblers are small desert warblers, also insectivores, who winter in coastal Mexico and breed in dense mesquite bosques in the southwest, often near streambeds. They are one of two warbler species that nest in cavities, favoring woodpecker holes, streambed or rock crevices, as well as nest boxes. They are small and compact, with a short tail and a thin bill. Males are grayish overall with a cinnamon rump and crown patch. The females are duller with rump and crown patch a yellowish brown or reddish yellow. (Ref: All About Birds)

The images above and below were shot at Agua Caliente on March 23rd, and show the male's crown patch as he looks for bugs.

Below, three images of a male Lucy's in my backyard in midtown Tucson in June of 2021. We can see the cinnamon crown patch and rump in this series, shot in the late afternoon against a distant shaded background that fades to black with one stop of underexposure.

Canon R6 Mk II, EF100-400mm at 500mm, 1/500 sec., f/8.0, ISO 800, -1 EV.

And, just in case you were wondering who the other cavity nesting warbler is . . . .

The only other warbler that nests in cavities is . . . .
the Prothonotary Warbler, pictured here in Panama

Canon R7, RF100-500mm at 363mm, 1/1000 sec., f/8.0, ISO 12800,+0.33 EV.

In contrast to the Lucy's, the Prothonotary Warbler has a large, heavy body with a big head and bill. The legs and tail are considered shorter than most warblers. They live in wet areas, such as flooded bottomland forests, wooded swamps and forests near lakes and streams, eating a variety of insects, as well as snails and mollusks. They breed in the eastern U.S., wintering to the south in wet coastal areas down into South America.

The image above was captured in Panama in the Bocas del Toro region in March of 2024. I have also spotted them on migration in Magee Marsh Wildlife Area in NW Ohio in May of 2022.

This warbler derives its name from the bright yellow robes worn by papal clerks known as prothonotaries. (Ref: All About Birds).

Hooded Oriole

Canon R5 Mk II, RF100-500mm at 500mm, 1/3200 sec., f/7.1, ISO 1000,+0.67 EV.

Let's finish up with the Hooded Oriole, another denizen of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. The Hooded Oriole winters in coastal Mexico and breeds in southern Texas, Baja California, Arizona and California. Sometime referred to as "palm-leaf orioles," they "sew" their hanging nests to the undersides of palm fronds. (Ref: All About Birds). Their range has extended north as commercial developments plant more palm trees. They eat spiders and insects as well as fruit, nectar from flowering plants and hummingbird feeders. The males are bright yellow with a black throat that extends around the eye. The females are olive-yellow overall with grayer backs.

Both sexes have white wingbars, bolder in the male. This male is sitting high near the palms at Agua Caliente, likely calling to a mate.

That is all for now.
Stay tuned - I have a trip to the Chiricahuas scheduled for next week!

Happy trails!

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