Nevada · Year-round resident

Phainopeplas in Nevada

When phainopeplas are present in Nevada, when they nest, which native Nevada plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4a–10a yard.

Silky-flycatchers (Ptiliogonatidae)PhainopeplaPhainopepla nitens

Status in Nevada: Year-round resident
Nesting window: February–April
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 4a–10a

When to expect phainopeplas in Nevada

Phainopeplas live in Nevada all year. Cold, dry winters in Reno and the north; mild winters in the south. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Great Basin cold desert in the north and Mojave hot desert around Las Vegas.

Nesting in Nevada

Across Nevada, phainopeplas typically nest from February–April. Plan around that window: January for setup, April for clean-out.

Very hot, dry summers; water is the top attractant.

Phainopeplas don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as chokecherry, red-osier dogwood, rocky mountain juniper for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after April.

Native Nevada plants that attract phainopeplas

Of the regional native plants we track for Nevada, these 8 provide food or cover phainopeplas use:

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Red-osier dogwood

Cornus sericea · Shrub

White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover.

Rocky Mountain juniper

Juniperus scopulorum · Tree

Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter.

Golden currant

Ribes aureum · Shrub

Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit.

Western serviceberry

Amelanchier alnifolia · Shrub

Saskatoon berries ripen in early summer.

Buffaloberry

Shepherdia argentea · Shrub

Tart red fruit that persists into winter.

Prickly pear

Opuntia engelmannii · Shrub

Fruit and seed plus nest sites for Cactus Wrens.

Bearberry

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · Shrub

Low evergreen with winter-persistent red fruit.

Feeding phainopeplas through the Nevada year

Top foods: None — plant desert mistletoe habitat.
In Nevada's winter: Cold, dry winters in Reno and the north; mild winters in the south.

Full diet breakdown for phainopeplas · Best feeder for phainopeplas

Frequently asked

Are phainopeplas in Nevada year-round?

Yes. Phainopeplas are year-round residents in Nevada.

When do phainopeplas nest in Nevada?

Nesting in Nevada typically runs February–April, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 2–4 eggs, incubated for 14 days.

What native plants attract phainopeplas in Nevada?

Chokecherry, Red-osier dogwood, Rocky Mountain juniper, Golden currant, Western serviceberry, Buffaloberry, Prickly pear, Bearberry are native plants in Nevada that provide food or cover for phainopeplas.

Phainopeplas in other regions

Arizona California New Mexico Texas Utah

Other backyard birds in Nevada

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren House Finch Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Red-winged Blackbird Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Northern Mockingbird Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay Black-billed Magpie Mountain Chickadee Bushtit Juniper Titmouse Pygmy Nuthatch Anna's Hummingbird Black-chinned Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Costa's Hummingbird Lesser Goldfinch Cassin's Finch Spotted Towhee Gambel's Quail California Quail Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe Black Phoebe Gila Woodpecker Ladder-backed Woodpecker Cactus Wren Verdin Bewick's Wren White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Violet-green Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove White-winged Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wild Turkey Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Western Tanager Hooded Oriole Black-throated Sparrow Lark Sparrow Green-tailed Towhee Pinyon Jay Clark's Nutcracker Western Screech-Owl Hooded Merganser Band-tailed Pigeon Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Least Flycatcher Western Kingbird Vermilion Flycatcher Ash-throated Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Burrowing Owl Lewis's Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker White-headed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Blue Grosbeak White-winged Crossbill Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Bohemian Waxwing Cactus Wren Greater Roadrunner Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Rock Pigeon

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.