A small (4 ¾ inches) wood warbler, the male Nashville Warbler is most easily identified by its dull green wings and body, bright yellow breast, gray face, and white eye-ring. The female is similar to the male, but is duller below and on the head. This species is most easily separated from the similar-looking Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis) by the latter species’ dark gray throat present in both sexes. The Nashville Warbler breeds across much of southern Canada and the northeastern United States. Another population breeds in the west from southern British Columbia south to northern California (locally in the mountains to southern California and Nevada). In winter, the eastern population migrates south to Mexico, Central America, and coastal Texas, while the western population migrates to the coast of California. Nashville Warblers breed in a variety of open forest habitat types, ranging from spruce and tamarack forests in the north to oak and pine forests in California. In winter, this species occurs in semi-open portions of humid tropical forests. Nashville Warblers eat small invertebrates, primarily insects (including caterpillars) and spiders. Due to this species’ preference for heavily vegetated habitats, Nashville Warblers are much more easily heard than seen. Birdwatchers may listen for this species’ “seebit, sebit, sebit, sebit, titititititi” song, or may attempt to observe it foraging for insects in the forest canopy. Nashville Warblers are primarily active during the day, but, like many migratory songbirds, this species migrates at night.
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Bibliographic Citation: Rumelt, Reid B. Oreothlypis ruficapilla. June-July 2012. Brief natural history summary of Oreothlypis ruficapilla. Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.
