Bay-breasted Warbler
Setophaga castanea
Breeding males are distinctive with dark reddish-brown cap and sides, along with buffy nape. Two bold white wingbars. Females and fall birds are duller; most show at least some chestnut coloring on sides. Dullest birds are similar to Blackpoll and Pine Warblers; look for streaks on back, well-defined wingbars, and cleaner greenish-yellow head and neck. Prefers conifers during migration, but can be found in any woodland. Breeds in the boreal forest. In most of U.S. , only seen during migration. Winters in Central and South America. Listen carefully for extremely high-pitched, squeaky-wheel song, similar to a fast Black-and-white Warbler.
Identification
Adult males in breeding plumage are primarily grayish above, with two white wing bars, dark streaks on the back, and a creamy neck patch. The face is black, and the crown, throat, and sides are a dark chestnut color. Breeding females are similar in overall pattern to the males, but are paler and duller. In the nonbreeding season, both sexes gain olive-green feathers on the back, nape, and head. The rufous on the flanks is limited and may even fade away entirely in nonbreeding females. The two white wing bars are present in all plumages.<p>
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Setophaga castanea
- Authority
- (Wilson, A, 1810)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Parulidae
- Genus
- Setophaga
Range and habitat
Bay-breasted warblers breed in the boreal spruce-fir forests of eastern and central Canada, as well as the extreme northern United States. The species winters in the wet lowland forests of northeastern South America, the Caribbean, and southern Central America, and may be seen during spring and fall migration across the eastern half of the United States in a variety of vegetative communities. Many individuals cross the Gulf of Mexico on their long-distance migration, although some travel north and south along the Mexican shore.
- Breeding range
- NA : s, se Canada and ne USA
- Non-breeding range
- to nw SA
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
Although currently classified by the IUCN as least concern, bay-breasted warblers, like many songbirds, are facing population declines across their range. A loss of insect prey and global climate change are contributing factors to decline. The global population is estimated to be fewer than 10 million individuals.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Chestnut Quail-thrush
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Heavily patterned terrestrial bird of eastern South Australia, northwestern Victoria, and western New South Wales. White eyebrow and moustache, with a deep chestnut-brown back and intricately patterned wing. Female has white belly and gray chest, male white belly, gray flanks, and black chest and throat. Note gray sides rather than warm brown sides of Cinnamon and Chestnut-breasted quail-thrushes. Usually seen walking around in areas of open mallee woodland and shrubland. Call a long, high-pitched whistled "seeeep."
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