Nashville Warbler
Encyclopedia
The Nashville Warbler, Vermivora ruficapilla, is a small songbird
in the New World warbler
family.
They have olive-brown upperparts, a white belly and a yellow throat and breast; they have a white eye ring, no wing bars and a thin pointed bill. Adult males have a grey head with a rusty crown patch (often not visible); females and immature birds have a duller olive-grey head. The Nashville Warbler is closely related to Virginia's Warbler
, Lucy's Warbler
and Colima Warbler
, the four sharing generally similar plumage.
habitats in Canada
and the northeastern and western United States of America
. They conceal their open cup-shaped nests on the ground under shrubs.
They migrate
to southernmost Texas
, Mexico
and Central America
in winter.
They forage in the lower parts of trees and shrubs, frequently flicking their tails; these birds mainly eat insects.
The song of the eastern (typical) race of the Nashville warbler 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.
Although named after Nashville, Tennessee
, the Nashville warbler only visits that area during migration.
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
in the New World warbler
New World warbler
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
family.
They have olive-brown upperparts, a white belly and a yellow throat and breast; they have a white eye ring, no wing bars and a thin pointed bill. Adult males have a grey head with a rusty crown patch (often not visible); females and immature birds have a duller olive-grey head. The Nashville Warbler is closely related to Virginia's Warbler
Virginia's Warbler
Virginia's Warbler is a species of New World warbler.Despite what its name may suggest, Virginia's warbler is not actually named after the American State of Virginia, which makes sense as the birds range only reaches as far east as the state of Texas...
, Lucy's Warbler
Lucy's Warbler
Lucy's Warbler, Oreothlypis luciae, is the smallest New World warbler found in North America, measuring a mere 4.25 inches in length....
and Colima Warbler
Colima Warbler
The Colima Warbler, Oreothlypis crissalis, is a New World warbler. It is mainly found in the Sierra Madre Occidental of central Mexico, though its range just barely extends into adjacent southwestern Texas in the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National Park....
, the four sharing generally similar plumage.
Life history
Nashville warblers breed in open mixed woods and bogBog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
habitats in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the northeastern and western United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They conceal their open cup-shaped nests on the ground under shrubs.
They migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
to southernmost Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
in winter.
They forage in the lower parts of trees and shrubs, frequently flicking their tails; these birds mainly eat insects.
The song of the eastern (typical) race of the Nashville warbler 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.
Although named after Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, the Nashville warbler only visits that area during migration.
External links
- Nashville Warbler - Vermivora ruficapilla - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Nashville Warbler Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Nashville Warbler Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Picture of Nashville Warbler in hand