Nashville warbler

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Nashville warbler
Vermivora ruficapilla Winema National Forest (cropped).jpg
In Winema National Forest, Oregon
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Leiothlypis
Species:
L. ruficapilla
Binomial name
Leiothlypis ruficapilla
(Wilson, 1811)
Oreothlypis ruficapilla map.svg
  Breeding range
  Winter range
Synonyms

Sylvia ruficapillaWilson, 1811
Vermivora ridgwayivan Rossem, 1929
Helminthophila rubricapilla
Vermivora rubricapilla
Vermivora ruficapilla(Wilson, 1811)
Oreothlypis ruficapilla(Wilson, 1811) Sangster, 2008

Contents

The Nashville warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla) is a small songbird in the New World warbler family, found in North and Central America. It breeds in parts of the northern and western United States and southern Canada, and migrates to winter in southern California and Texas, Mexico, and the north of Central America. It has a gray head and a green back, and its underparts are yellow and white.

Description

The Nashville warbler is a small warbler. Both male and female Nashville warblers have a gray head fading into a greenish back and wings, a white belly and a yellow throat and breast. They have a complete white eye ring, no wing bars, and a thin pointed black bill. Adult males have a rusty brown patch on their crown, which is usually hard to see and often covered by gray feathers. Males will raise it slightly when agitated. Females and immature birds have a duller olive-grey head, and less bold yellow on their throat. The Nashville warbler is closely related to Virginia's warbler, Lucy's warbler, and the Colima warbler, the four sharing generally similar plumage.

A young female in Madison, Wisconsin Young female Nashville Warbler (6219549745).jpg
A young female in Madison, Wisconsin

Measurements: [2]

Call

The song of the nominate subspecies consists of a rapid seewit-seewit-seewit-ti-ti-ti. Males sing from open perches on the nesting territory. The call sounds like a high seet. Western birds of the race ridgwayi have a slightly lower-pitched, richer song, and a sharper call note. [3]

Taxonomy

The Nashville warbler was originally described as Sylvia ruficapilla by Alexander Wilson in 1811, using a name which had already been used by John Latham, but not in a valid description according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Possibly unintentionally, Wilson spelled its name as Sylvia rubricapilla in a later volume in 1812, and this spelling was once commonly used. [4] The genus Sylvia is now restricted to Old World species of the family Sylviidae, unrelated to species such as the Nashville warbler, that are classified in the New World warbler family Parulidae. Until recently, most taxonomies have put this species in the genus Vermivora . However, this species forms a clade with several related species classed in Vermivora, such as the Tennessee warbler and Lucy's warbler, which are more closely related to the flame-throated warbler and crescent-chested warbler than to other species of Vermivora. [5] They were classified in the genus Oreothlypis along with the flame-throated and crescent-chested warblers, [6] although the new genus Leiothlypis was initially proposed for the Nashville warbler and allies, excluding the latter two species. [7]

Two subspecies exist, with discrete breeding ranges. The nominate subspecies, L. r. ruficapilla, breeds in northeastern North America. The other subspecies, L. r. ridgwayi, known as the Calaveras warbler, nests in western North America. The latter differs from the former in its relatively duller plumage and more persistent tail movements. [5]

Distribution and habitat

Nashville warblers breed in two distinct areas, one in Canada and the northeastern United States, and another in the western United States. The northeastern part of its range extends from Côte-Nord and Cape Breton Island in eastern Canada to central Alberta. For the most part, it only breeds between about 52 and 45.5 degrees north, but it is also found less commonly in the Appalachians of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Although named after Nashville, Tennessee, the Nashville warbler only visits that area during migration. They migrate to southernmost Texas and California, mid-Mexico, and the northernmost parts of Central America (Guatemala and El Salvador) in winter. In their breeding range, they prefer open mixed woods and bog habitats. [8]

Behavior

A nest with an egg and newly hatched nestlings, in Bellefeuille, Quebec Nid d'oiseaux (7328514422).jpg
A nest with an egg and newly hatched nestlings, in Bellefeuille, Quebec

Nashville warblers forage by gleaning in the lower parts of trees and shrubs, frequently flicking their tails. In winter, they join together into loose flocks, and sometimes join mixed-species feeding flocks. These birds mainly eat insects, but will supplement this diet with berries and nectar in the winter. [9]

Nashville warblers conceal their nests on the ground under shrubs. Nests are open cups built out of bark strips, leaves, and moss, and are lined with fine materials such as feathers or hairs. Typically, four or five eggs are laid in a clutch, and incubated for 11–12 days. Only the female incubates the eggs, though the male brings her food. On hatching, the young have no feathers apart from some brown down, and their eyes are closed. [8] Juveniles fledge and leave the nest 11 days after hatching. [9]

There is a single record of hybridization with the Tennessee warbler. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New World warbler</span> Family of birds

The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds that make up the family Parulidae and are restricted to the New World. They are not closely related to Old World warblers or Australian warblers. Most are arboreal, but some, like the ovenbird and the two waterthrushes, are primarily terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-rumped warbler</span> Species of bird

The yellow-rumped warbler is a regular North American bird species that can be commonly observed all across the continent. Its extensive distribution range connects both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the U.S. as well as Canada and Central America, with the population concentrating in the continent's northern parts during the breeding season and migrating southwards to southern North and Central America in Winter. The species generally prefers coniferous forests or mixed coniferous-deciduous forests as its breeding habitat, while during the winter it can be found inhabiting more open areas such as shrublands that offer food resources. The diet of the yellow-rumped warbler is based primarily on insects, though the species does eat fruits such as juniper berries as well, especially in winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audubon's warbler</span>

Audubon's warbler is a small bird of the family Parulidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American yellow warbler</span> Species of bird

The yellow warbler is a New World warbler species. Yellow warblers are the most widespread species in the diverse genus Setophaga, breeding in almost the whole of North America, the Caribbean, and down to northern South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay-breasted warbler</span> Species of bird

The bay-breasted warbler is a small species of songbird in the New World warbler family, Parulidae. It is one of thirty-four species in the diverse genus Setophaga. Like all songbirds, or passerines, the species is classified in the order Passeriformes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson's warbler</span> Species of bird

Wilson's warbler is a small New World warbler. It is greenish above and yellow below, with rounded wings and a long, slim tail. The male has a black crown patch; depending on the subspecies, that mark is reduced or absent in the female. It breeds across Canada and south through the western United States, and winters from Mexico south through much of Central America. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hooded warbler</span> Species of bird

The hooded warbler is a New World warbler. It breeds in eastern North America and across the eastern United States and into southernmost Canada (Ontario). It is migratory, wintering in Central America and the West Indies. Hooded warblers are very rare vagrants to western Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-winged warbler</span> Species of bird

The golden-winged warbler is a New World warbler. It breeds in southeastern and south-central Canada and in the Appalachian Mountains in northeastern to north-central United States. The majority (~70%) of the global population breeds in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Manitoba. Golden-winged warbler populations are slowly expanding northwards, but are generally declining across its range, most likely as a result of habitat loss and competition/interbreeding with the very closely related blue-winged warbler, Vermivora cyanoptera. Populations are now restricted to two regions: the Great Lakes and the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian population has declined 98% since the 1960s and is significantly imperiled. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been petitioned to list the species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and is currently reviewing all information after issuing a positive finding. Upon review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that the petition to list the species as endangered or threatened presents "substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the golden-winged warbler may be warranted."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-winged warbler</span> Species of bird

The blue-winged warbler is a fairly common New World warbler, 11.5 cm (4.5 in) long and weighing 8.5 g (0.30 oz). It breeds in eastern North America in southern Ontario and the eastern United States. Its range is extending northwards, where it is replacing the very closely related golden-winged warbler, Vermivora chrysoptera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee warbler</span> Species of bird

The Tennessee warbler is a New World warbler that breeds in eastern North America and winters in southern Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. The specific name peregrina is from Latin peregrinus "wanderer".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange-crowned warbler</span> Species of bird

The orange-crowned warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-throated warbler</span> Species of bird

The yellow-throated warbler is a small migratory songbird species in the New World warbler family (Parulidae) found in temperate North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-throated gray warbler</span> Species of bird

The black-throated gray warbler or black-throated grey warbler is a passerine bird of the New World warbler family Parulidae. It is 13 cm (5.1 in) long and has gray and white plumage with black markings. The male has the bold black throat of its name, and black stripes on its head, as well as black streaks on its flanks; the female is a paler version of the male, with a white throat and less distinct black markings on the flanks and wings. It breeds in western North America from British Columbia to New Mexico, and winters in Mexico and the southwestern United States. The habitats it prefers are coniferous and mixed forests and scrubland, especially those with pinyon pines, junipers, sagebrush, and oaks. Its nest is an open cup of plant fibers lined with feathers, built a few metres from the ground in the branches of a tree or shrub. Three to five eggs are laid, and young are fed by both parents. Common in its breeding range, it does not seem to be seriously threatened by human activities, unlike many migratory warblers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flame-throated warbler</span> Species of bird

The flame-throated warbler is a small New World warbler. It is sometimes placed in the genera Vermivora and Parula.

<i>Setophaga</i> Genus of birds

Setophaga is a genus of birds of the New World warbler family Parulidae. It contains at least 33 species. The males in breeding plumage are often highly colorful. The Setophaga warblers are an example of adaptive radiation with the various species using different feeding techniques and often feeding in different parts of the same tree.

<i>Vermivora</i> Genus of birds

Vermivora is a genus of New World warblers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red warbler</span> Species of bird

The red warbler is a small passerine bird of the New World warbler family Parulidae endemic to the highlands of Mexico, north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is closely related to, and forms a superspecies with, the pink-headed warbler of southern Mexico and Guatemala. There are three subspecies, found in disjunct populations, which differ in the color of their ear patch and in the brightness and tone of their body plumage. The adult is bright red, with a white or gray ear patch, depending on the subspecies; young birds are pinkish-brown, with a whitish ear patch and two pale wingbars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuban warbler</span> Tiny family of birds found only in Cuba

The Cuban warblers are a genus, Teretistris, and family, Teretistridae, of birds endemic to Cuba and its surrounding cays. Until 2002 they were thought to be New World warblers, but DNA studies have shown that they are not closely related to that family. The family consists of two species, the yellow-headed warbler and the Oriente warbler. Both species are found in forest and scrub, with the yellow-headed warbler ranging in the west of the island and the Oriente warbler in the east. The Cuban warblers are 13 cm (5.1 in) long and have similar yellow and grey plumage.

<i>Oreothlypis</i> Genus of birds

Oreothlypis is a genus of New World warbler. Most members of this genus for formerly classified in the genus Vermivora. However, the species then in Vermivora were more closely related to the flame-throated warbler and crescent-chested warbler, then classed in Parula, than to other species of Vermivora. Initially, the new genus Leiothlypis was proposed for these species by Sangster in 2008, but the American Ornithologists' Union opted to classify them along with the flame-throated and crescent-chested warblers in the existing genus Oreothlypis, though accepted the change in 2019.

<i>Leiothlypis</i> Genus of birds

Leiothlypis is a genus of New World warbler, formerly classified within the genus Oreothlypis or Vermivora.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Leiothlypis ruficapilla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22721627A94718463. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22721627A94718463.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. "Nashville Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  3. Sibley, David Allen (2000). The Sibley Guide to Birds . New York: Alfred A. Knopf. p.  430. ISBN   978-0-679-45122-8.
  4. Walter, Faxon (1896). "Helminthophila rubricapilla vs. Helminthophila ruficapilla". The Auk. XIII.
  5. 1 2 Curson, J. (2009). "Family Parulidae (New World Warblers)". In del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Christie, David (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 15. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.
  6. Chesser, R. T.; Banks, R. C.; Barker, F. K.; Cicero, C.; Dunn, J. L.; Kratter, A. W.; Lovette, I. J.; Rasmussen, P. C.; Remsen, J. V. Jr.; Rising, J. D.; Stotz, D. F.; Winker, K. (2010). "Fifty-First Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds" (PDF). The Auk. 127 (3): 726–744. doi:10.1525/auk.2010.127.3.726.
  7. Banks, Richard C. (August 2010). "Recognize the parulid genus Oreothlypis: Proposal (453) to South American Classification Committee". Archived from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  8. 1 2 Lowther, Peter E.; Williams, Janet McI. (2011). "Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla)". In Poole, A. (ed.). The Birds of North America Online. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
  9. 1 2 3 Curson, Jon; Quinn, David; Beadle, David (1994). New World Warblers. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 102–103. ISBN   0-7136-3932-6.