How to Identify aVerdin
Auriparus flaviceps · 4.5 in (11.5 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Pale gray body with a lemon-yellow head and throat and a rusty-red shoulder patch. Sexes look alike.
Female
Like the male but with a duller yellow head and a smaller shoulder patch.
Male photo: Alan D. Wilson / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Second photo: Alan Vernon / Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0
Field marks
- Yellow head on an otherwise plain gray bird
- Small chestnut shoulder patch
- Sharp, fine, pointed bill
- Very small and active in desert shrubs
Similar species
What it sounds like
A sharp, insistent "tschep" and a clear three-note whistled "tsee-tsee-tsee".
Behaviour that gives it away
Builds enclosed spherical nests year-round — breeding nests in spring and separate insulated roosting nests for winter nights.
Habitat & range
Desert scrub, mesquite, thorn scrub and desert gardens of the Southwest.
When you'll see it
Present all year in southwestern North America.
What it eats
Insects and spiders, plus nectar and small fruits.
Did you know?
It builds separate insulated roosting nests for winter, giving it shelter through cold desert nights.
Spot one yourself?
Point your camera at any bird and Aviarist identifies it in seconds — then logs it to your life list.
Get Aviarist on Google Play
More backyard birds
.jpg){kind=link}
Other apps we make
