- Wilsonia pusilla
Description
Identification
Male: Face, throat, and underparts yellow with slightly duskier auriculars and glossy black cap. Nape and upperparts yellow-olive, wings and tail darker. Female: Crown olive to mostly black.
Distribution
Breeds in North America from Alaska throughout most of Canada east to Newfoundland south to northern New York and northern New England in the east; in the west found in coastal mountains south to southern California and in the Rocky Mountain region. In migration found throughout the United States and Canada. Winters Mexico south to western Panama. Accidental vagrant to Greenland (1 record) and Great Britain (1 record).
Taxonomy
Consists of three subspecies.
Subspecies1
- W. p. chryseola - breeds along the pacific coast from British Columbia south to s. California
- W. p. pileolata - breeds from Alaska south to interior west
- W. p. pusilla - breeds from Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan east throughout eastern range
Habitat
Thickets and brush, especially near water.
Behaviour
Voice
Song a rapid series of 10-15 short, whistled notes chchchchchchchch with sharp, chattery quality; last few notes usually lower and faster, generally downslurred, sometimes two-syllable.
References
- Dunn, Jon; Garrett, Kimball. 1997. A Field Guide to Warblers of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780395783214