Red-faced Warbler
Encyclopedia
The Red-faced Warbler (Cardellina rubrifrons) is a species of New World warbler
.
Mature Red-faced Warblers are small birds, 14 cm (5½ inches) long. They are light gray on top with a white rump and a white underside. The face, neck, and upper breast are all bright red, while the crown and sides of the head are black. The spot on the back of the head where the black crown and gray back meet is sometimes speckled gray, or sometimes plain white. They also have a quirky habit of flicking their tail sideways while feeding.
Red-faced Warblers are locally common in mountain forests of conifers, spruce
, and oak
2,000-3,000 m (6,500 to 9,000 feet) above sea level. In summer they frequent northern Mexico
and range up into the states
of Arizona
and New Mexico
– (the Madrean sky islands
). During the winter months they migrate
south into southern Mexico and the Central America
n nations of El Salvador
, Guatemala
, and Honduras
. They are permanent residents of the central and southern mountains of western Mexico, the range called Sierra Madre Occidental
.
Nests are a small cup constructed from leaves, grass, and pine needles. The nest will be hidden amongst the debris on the forest floor, buried in the ground, sheltered under a shrub, log, or rock. The female will lay 3 to 5 eggs, colored white and spotted with brown. Incubation and nestling periods average 12 days each.
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....
.
Mature Red-faced Warblers are small birds, 14 cm (5½ inches) long. They are light gray on top with a white rump and a white underside. The face, neck, and upper breast are all bright red, while the crown and sides of the head are black. The spot on the back of the head where the black crown and gray back meet is sometimes speckled gray, or sometimes plain white. They also have a quirky habit of flicking their tail sideways while feeding.
Red-faced Warblers are locally common in mountain forests of conifers, spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
, and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
2,000-3,000 m (6,500 to 9,000 feet) above sea level. In summer they frequent northern 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 range up into the states
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
– (the Madrean sky islands
Madrean sky islands
The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine-oak woodlands, found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. The sky islands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Sonoran and...
). During the winter months 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...
south into southern Mexico and the 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...
n nations of El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, and Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. They are permanent residents of the central and southern mountains of western Mexico, the range called Sierra Madre Occidental
Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range in western Mexico.-Setting:The range runs north to south, from just south of the Sonora–Arizona border southeast through eastern Sonora, western Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Aguascalientes to Guanajuato, where it joins...
.
Nests are a small cup constructed from leaves, grass, and pine needles. The nest will be hidden amongst the debris on the forest floor, buried in the ground, sheltered under a shrub, log, or rock. The female will lay 3 to 5 eggs, colored white and spotted with brown. Incubation and nestling periods average 12 days each.
External links
- Red-faced Warbler videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Red-faced Warbler photo; Article firefly forest
- Red-faced Warbler photo gallery VIREO Photo-High Res--(Close-up)
- Stamps (for El SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
) with RangeMap - Photo-High Res
