Virginia's Warbler

Leiothlypis virginiae

A mostly gray warbler with yellow undertail coverts and a thin white eyering. All but the dullest immatures show a yellow patch on the breast. Breeds in open woodlands with dense understory, especially mixed piñon-juniper and oak on steep slopes. Winters in western Mexico, where it prefers dense thickets and brushy habitat. Listen for sweet two- or three-parted warble. Compare with Nashville Warbler, but Virginia’s is always duller gray, especially on the back and wings.

Identification

Virginia's warbler is a small bird, only .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}4 to 4+1⁄2 inches (100 to 110 mm) in length. It is mainly gray in color, with a lighter colored under-belly and a white eye ring. The rump and undertail coverts are yellow. They also have a yellow patch on their breast and a partially hidden dark reddish crest. Females are slightly duller, with less yellow on breast. Virginia's warbler can be easily mistaken for the rare Colima warbler, but it is smaller, has a more yellow rump, and is more widespread. Colima Warbler also lacks yellow breast patch.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Leiothlypis virginiae
Authority
(Baird, SF, 1860)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Parulidae
Genus
Leiothlypis

Range and habitat

Breeding range
NA : sw USA
Non-breeding range
Mexico
Migration
Complete migrants

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

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