The phainopepla or northern phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens) name is from the Greek phain pepla meaning "shining robe" in reference to the male's plumage. Females are similar but a subdued gray. It is the most northerly representative of the mainly tropical Central American silky flycatcher family Ptiliogonatidae. Also known commonly as black flycatcher, black-crested flycatcher, shinning crested flycatcher, shining fly-snapper, it is often thought of as strictly a desert dweller. But the phainopepla lives a country club life, moving to more moderate climates in the summer, then back to the desert for the rest of the year. Phainopeplas have digestive tracts specialized for eating mistletoe fruit – around 1,000 berries per day.
