Joann Merritt's Essays

Bird Of The Month - Verdin
February, 1994

Donna Kelly’s interest in celestial objects has influenced me. It has caused me to see little “stars” in the speckled plumage of the Starling, the colors of the “sky” in the Mountain Bluebirds and bright rays of “sunshine” in the Verdin’s yellow face.

The Verdin is a bird, like the quail, who doesn’t seem to need water, but obtains enough moisture from the insects and fruits in its diet. The Verdins nests have been found 10 miles away from a source of water. In my 17 years of birding I have seen the Verdin bathing only once, it was an extremely hot day in August of 1982. When I turned on the water sprinkler close to our apricot tree a Verdin flew into the treetop where the sun shining through the drops of water made his yellow head and red shoulder patches shinel like jewels as he flitted in the leaves. I have never seen a Verdin drink water, but last summer I observed one occasionally drinking syrup from the hummingbird feeder.

Since we had late hummers staying into November, I still keep syrup in the feeders. The tiny gray and white Verdin with his face full of sunshine adds an extra measure of happiness to our day as he perches on the feeder to obtain syrup. We can view this activity from only 10 feet away, right outside our kitchen window and doors. He shows no interest in the peanut butter mixture that is available nearby. Some books state that he eats seeds but I have never observed this, mostly I see him foraging like a chickadee on the tips of small branches where he finds insects, larvae and eggs. He also eats our peaches and mulberries in season.

The Verdin is as busy as a building contractor during Midland’s oil boom. He constructs several nests in the spring so the Mrs. can have a choice and then later builds a smaller roosting nest for cold winter nights. After fledging, the 4 or 5 youngsters still return to the nest to roost so it must be strong enough to hold and support the brood. The large number of these long-lasting nests in an area can be misleading as to the abundance of these birds.

The oval-shaped nests I have seen are made of thorny twigs, mesquite leaves and grass all bound together with spider webs and lined with feathers and plant down. Much as a carport is attached to a house, the Verdin extends a roof over the nest’s side entrance. Near sundown he makes his “tick-tick-tick” calls for a while and then pops headfirst into his nest so quickly that it is difficult to follow his movement.

Some birds lose their vibrant colors after the breeding season but the Verdin keeps his sunshine yellow face all year. I’m anxiously awaiting spring when I can also view rainbow colors in the Painted Buntings plumage. When I showed a granddaughter the constellation Gemini (Jim & I to a 5 year-old) she exclaimed “Grandma! Are you up in the sky?” If I am, Marissa, Donna put me there. Gemini is my sign.