Phainopepla
Phainopepla nitens
Phoradendron californicum
Watercolor from specimens found in the Castle Dome Mountains, La Paz County, Arizona on 23 Feb. 1992.
The dispersal of Desert Mistletoe is aided especially by the activity of the Phainopepla, a jet-black bird with a conspicuous crest and red eyes. Female phainopeplas are dark gray. Phainopeplas consume many mistletoe berries, but occasionally a sticky seed adheres to its bill only to be scraped off onto the branch of a potential new host. Some seeds may also remain viable after passing through the birds' digestive tract.