Nashville Warbler

Nashville Warbler
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae Genus: Vermivora Species: V. ruficapilla
Binomial name
Vermivora ruficapilla (Wilson, 1811)
Synonyms
Helminthophila rubricapilla

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.

Life history

Nashville warblers breed in open mixed woods and bog 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.

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Vermivora ruficapilla. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vermivora ruficapilla

• 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