- Seiurus noveboracensis
Identification
12-14 cm. Brown back. Whitish or creamy underside with dark stripes. Whitish or yellowish eyestripe. Sexes look alike.
Similar species
Distribution
Alaska, most of Canada south to the northern U.S. in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana; in the east south to Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Winters to the West Indies and northern South America.
Taxonomy
Consists of three subspecies.
Subspecies
Clements considers this a monotypic species1 while Dunn et al.2 recognize the following three subspecies:
- S. n. limnaeus - breeds in central British Columbia
- S. n. notabilis - breeds across the western range to western Quebec
- S. n. noveboracensis - breeds from eastern Quebec to the southern part of range
AOU have moved this species to genus Parkesia; the opus is awaiting the position of the world-wide checklists before following along.
Habitat
Wooded swamps, thickets of bogs, margins of northern lakes, and willow and alder bordered rivers.
Behaviour
Song loud and ringing, starts with several phrases on one pitch, followed by an accelerating jumble of short, rapid phrases dropping slightly in pitch. Call a sharp, metallic "chink."
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Dunn, Jon; Garrett, Kimball. 1997. A Field Guide to Warblers of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780395783214
- 51st supplement to the AOU checklist of North American birds
