I took last Thursday afternoon off while Mom and Dad were visiting and took them to the DeGrazia gallery. I wasn't sure they would like Ted DeGrazia's painting style but thought I would let them explore it anyway. There really is something about his paintings that really is wonderful. Also, the gallery is designed by him and its next to his own house and church. It really gives you the feel for the artist. Anyway, like always, I gravitated outside to look for wildlife.
I discovered a bird that I did not know existed. Its called a Phainopepla. Its a really cool bird and here is some info about it:
Cool Facts
The Phainopepla, when pursued by predators or handled by humans, mimics the calls of other birds; imitations of at least 13 species have been recorded.
The Phainopepla, when pursued by predators or handled by humans, mimics the calls of other birds; imitations of at least 13 species have been recorded.
An individual Phainopepla eats at least 1,100 mistletoe berries per day, when they are available.
The name ?Phainopepla? (pronounced fay-no-PEP-la) comes from the Greek for "shining robe", a fitting characterization of the shiny, jet-black plumage of the adult male.
The Phainopepla exhibits strikingly different behaviors in its two habitats. In the desert, it is territorial, actively defending nesting and foraging sites, while in the woodlands it is colonial, with as many as four nesting pairs sharing one large tree.
The Phainopepla rarely drinks water, even though research indicates that it loses about 95 percent of its body mass in water per day. Instead, it gets the water it needs from its diet of mistletoe.
2 comments:
Are both of those birds the same type? Male and female? Very nice pictures Mom and Dad took me they really enjoyed the gallery. Thanks for the lesson on the Phainopepla.
Ok... I need to type with my glasses on if I going to prof read what I type....Mom and Dad told me. I hate getting old it might help if I turn the lights on too. Love ya
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