Verdin

The Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps) is a species of penduline tit. It is the only species in the genus Auriparus and the only representative of the old world family Remizidae to be found in North America. They are insectivorous, continuously foraging among the desert trees and scrubs. Verdins occasionally attempt to use hummingbird feeders to get sugar water, consume the hard and soft mast of numerous trees and shrubs in addition to a wide variety of microscopic insects, including adults and larvae.

It is an extremely tiny bird. It is one of the tiniest passerines in North America, measuring 11 cm, and is comparable in size to the American bushtit. Adults have a rufous shoulder patch and a brilliant yellow head, in addition to its gray overall color (the lesser coverts). It has a bill that is quite pointed, unlike the tits. Juveniles lack the rufous shoulder patch and golden head, and their bodies are a pale gray color. The short bill's base is thick at the head and tapers sharply at the tip.