In November 2024, dozens of Phainopeplas showed up at Cedar Mountain Winery in Livermore, California, and it was pretty amazing. These birds have a cool, sleek look with a little crest on top of their heads. The males are shiny black with bright white patches on their wings that you can really see when they fly. The females, on the other hand, are a softer gray with lighter wing patches. Both have striking red eyes that make them stand out even more.
Phainopeplas love hanging out in trees or bushes, keeping an eye on everything around them. They mostly eat berries—especially mistletoe—but they’re also pretty good at catching insects in mid-air. At the winery, they were having a feast, gorging on grapes straight off the vines. Seeing so many of them at once was a real treat for bird lovers and visitors alike. It’s not every day you get to watch such large numbers of these unique birds up close!