WarblersRufous-capped WarblerBasileuterus rufifrons
- ORDER: Passeriformes
- FAMILY: Parulidae
Basic Description
A bold warbler with an eye-catching rufous-and-white head and brilliant lemon-yellow throat and breast, the Rufous-capped Warbler is a fixture in low, brushy vegetation from Guatemala to northern Mexico. It searches for insects in tangled vegetation, often flicking its long, narrow tail upward. It builds a domed nest on the ground, and both sexes sing a loud, chattering song. Rufous-capped Warblers occasionally visit southeastern Arizona and southern Texas.
More ID InfoOther Names
- Reinita Coronirrufa (Spanish)
- Paruline à calotte rousse (French)
- Cool Facts
- Ornithologists have long debated whether Rufous-capped Warbler and Chestnut-capped Warbler should be treated as one or two species. In 2021, the American Ornithological Society chose to split them into two species based on differences in plumage, song, and body measurements.
- Rufous-capped Warbler occurs from northern Guatemala to northeastern and northwestern Mexico, and it is also a rare visitor (and breeder) in the southwestern United States. In the 21st century, this species has become a nearly annual visitor to southeastern Arizona, and it also turns up in Texas in many years.