Warblers- ORDER: Passeriformes
- FAMILY: Peucedramidae
Basic Description
A small songbird of mountainous, open pine forests, the Olive Warbler peruses the treetops, rarely coming down to eye level. Males are decked out with an orange hood and dark cheeks but are otherwise gray with bold, white wingbars. Females replace the male's orange hood with their own yellowish hood. Listen for burry and repeated phrases coming from the tops of pines to find this bird. Previously considered part of the wood-warbler family, it is now placed in its own family.
More ID InfoFind This Bird
Unlike many wood-warblers, which have a tendency to flit and forage among trees, the Olive Warbler tends to stay put in one tree, giving you more chances to find it at the tops of the pines. Position yourself in an open area that allows unobstructed views of the outer tree canopy where they tend to forage. Learning their song will also help you find this bird as males and females loudly broadcast their presence during the breeding season.
Other Names
- Ocotero (Spanish)
- Fauvine des pins (French)
- Cool Facts
- Despite its common name, the Olive Warbler isn't really a warbler. Recent genetic studies place it in its own family, the Peucedramidae, which is closely related to Old Word accentors in the Prunellidae family.
- Male Olive Warblers breeding at the northern edge of their range take 2 years to obtain the orange hood of adults.