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Nashville Warbler, Memphis, TN, May 2016. Photo by Melissa McMaster. Wikimedia Commons.

Nashville Warbler, Memphis, TN, October 2018. Photo by Melissa McMaster. Wikimedia Commons.

nashville warbler

Oreothlypis ruficapilla

Identification: This small warbler’s key features include a gray head, un-streaked yellow front, greenish back, and white eye ring.  It lacks wingbars. Male and female are similar except that the male has a rarely-visible rusty patch on its forehead. Plumage does not change markedly with seasons. Females and immature birds are paler, but with the same basic features.

Behavior:
A ground nesting bird, the Nashville Warbler prefers second-growth forests, and forages in trees and shrubs for its food, which consists almost entirely of insects. Breeds in early summer; females make a nest using materials like grasses, moss, and animal hair.  Winters in Mexico.

What Brings it to the SBG?
Food and shelter.  As an insectivore, the Nashville Warbler can find plenty to eat at the SBG. The open meadow bordered by woods is a characteristic habitat. 

When can I see it?
During migration, in spring or fall.  Ebird maps suggest that few sightings have occurred in central Pennsylvania during breeding season.