Saint Lucia warbler

Saint Lucia warbler
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Parulidae
Genus:	Setophaga
Species:	S. delicata
Binomial name
Setophaga delicata (Ridgway, 1883)
Synonyms
Setophaga adelaidae delicata(Ridgway, 1883) Dendroica adelaidae delicataRidgway, 1883 Dendroica delicataRidgway, 1883

The Saint Lucia warbler (Setophaga delicata) is a species of passerine bird belonging to the family Parulidae, the New World warblers. This species is endemic to Saint Lucia. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Adelaide's warbler.

Taxonomy

The St Lucia warbler was first formally described as Dendroeca adelaidae delicata in 1883 by the American ornithologist Robert Ridgway with its type locality given as St Lucia. ^[2] This species is now classified within the genus Setophaga which belongs to the family Parulidae, the wood warblers or New World warblers. ^[3] The Saint Lucia warbler was considered to be a subspecies of Adelaide's warbler(S. adelaidae) of Puerto Rico, along with the Barbuda warbler (S. subita) but these are now regarded as separate species. ^[4] The three species formerly known as Adelaide's warbler are classified in the "yellow-throated" species group, S. dominica, within Setophaga. ^[5]

Etymology

The Saint Lucia warbler is classified in the genus Setophaga; this name means "moth eater" in Greek. The specific name, delicata, is Latin and means "dainty", "nice" or "delicate". ^[6]

Description

The Saint Lucia warbler is a small bird with a length of 12.5 cm (4.9 in). The upperparts are bluish-grey and it has a yellow throat and breast, a yellow supercilium and a yellow crescent underneath the eye, both edged with black. The females are similar to the males but the black margin of the crown stripe is less obvious and there is less white in the tail. ^[7] The song is variable, but always includes a series of fluty notes and frequently ends with two notes which are written as "which you". The call is a single loud chip note. ^[8]

Distribution and habitat

The Saint Lucia warbler is endemic to St Lucia in the Lesser Antilles where it is found in forests and in well wooded gardens. ^[9]

References

1. BirdLife International (2016). "Setophaga delicata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22729431A95014973. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22729431A95014973.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. Robert Ridgway (1883). "Description of a new warbler from the island of Santa Lucia, West Indies". Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 5 (310). Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.]: 525--526. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.5-310.521.
3. AviList Core Team (2025). "AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025". AviList: The Global Avian Checklist. doi:10.2173/avilist.v2025 . Retrieved 13 July 2025.
4. Staicer, Cynthia A. (October 1996). "Acoustical features of song categories of the Adelaide's Warbler (Dendroica adelaidae)" (PDF). The Auk. 113 (4): 771–783. doi:10.2307/4088856. JSTOR   4088856.
5. Jon Curson; David Quinn; and David Beadle (1994). New World Warblers. Helm Identification Guides. Christopher Helm (Publishers) Ltd. pp. 139–140. ISBN   0713639326.
6. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London, United Kingdom: Christopher Helm. p.  355 131. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
7. Herbert Raffaele; James Wiley; Orlando Garrido; Allan Keith; Janis Raffaele (2003). Birds of the West Indies. Helm Field Guides. Princeton University Press. pp. 160–161. ISBN   978-0-7136-5419-6.
8. "Saint Lucia Warbler Setophaga delicata". eBird . Cornell Lab of Ornithology . Retrieved 13 July 2025.
9. Ed Drewitt (7 November 2019). "The St Lucia Warbler". Birds of St Lucia. Anse Chastenet. Retrieved 13 July 2025.