- Toxostoma crissale
Identification
20cm.
- Dark grey brown above
- Grey below
- White throat
- Dark moustachial stripe
- Red undertail
- Rust coloured belly and undertail coverts
- Long dark tail
- Yellow iris
- Long, down-curved bill
- Dark legs
- Sexes similar
Distribution
Southern California, southern Nevada, most of Arizona, most of New Mexico, western Texas and northern Mexico.
Taxonomy
Polytypic. Consists of four subspecies.
Habitat
Riparian thickets and desert areas.
Behaviour
The diet includes insects, spiders, seeds, and berries.
It builds its nest from twigs, lined with plant material, close to the branch; 1-4 blue green, unspotted eggs are laid and are incubated by both parents for 14 days.
References
Cornell Lab of Ornithology; USGS; Whatbird.com
