STATUS: Common.
HABITAT: Mainly inhabits timbered desert mountain canyons, gulches, and rugged slopes in coniferous and deciduous woodlands, generally near water. Especially favors dense thickets and oaks in secluded canyons near streams.
NEST: Nearly always places nest on the ground under a rock, tree root, or grass tuft that provides overhead shelter, and usually on a sloping bank or rocky canyon wall near water.
FOOD: Gleans its food from leaves, tree trunks, and branches. Also hovers while picking insects from tree foliage, and hawks over water. Mostly eats insects. (Food habits have not been reported, however.)
REFERENCES: Bent 1953b, Griscom and Sprunt 1979, Marshall and Balda 1974, Oberholser 1974b.