Species BirdsVerdin

Verdin

Auriparus flaviceps

CommonBird
Illustration of Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps)

The Verdin is a tiny desert bird with a bright yellow face and rusty-red shoulder patch and is the only North American representative of the penduline-tit family. It builds large, conspicuous round nests of thorny twigs in desert shrubs and constructs roost nests for winter insulation. It rarely needs to drink water.

Habitat
Desert scrub, thorny shrubs, and mesquite of the southwestern US
Diet
Tiny insects, spiders, and nectar from desert flowers
How common
Common

Best time to see a Verdin

The best time to see a Verdin is January–May, when about 60% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 12,714 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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