- Pheucticus melanocephalus
Identification
19cm. Male - black head, wings and tail with prominent white patches, dark to tawny orange breast, yellow belly. Female - brown head, neck and back with black streaks, white streaks down the middle of the head, over the eyes and on the cheeks, white breast, greyish brown wings and tail, with two white wing bars and yellowish wing edges.
Distribution
Southwestern British Columbia, western half of the United States, into central Mexico.
Taxonomy
There are 2 subspecies:
- P. m. melanocephalus
- P. m. maculatus
Habitat
Deciduous and mixed wooded areas with large trees, thick bushes, streamside corridors, river bottoms, lakeshores, wetlands, and suburban areas.
Behaviour
The diet includes pine and other seeds, berries and insects, spiders and fruit.
An open saucer shaped nest, made of fine grass, rootlets twigs, bark and conifer needles, often lined with rootlets, hair, and fine plant material, is built by the female among the dense foliage on an outer branch of tall broadleaved trees or shrubs, 3-35’ above ground. 2-5 pale green, blue or grey eggs that are spotted with reddish and dark brown are laid and are incubated by both sexes for 12-14 days. Fledglings leave the nest in about 11 or 12 days, however they are unable to fly for another two weeks. The young are fed by both adults.
