Seiurus Aurocapilla – Ovenbird

Seiurus Aurocapilla - Ovenbird found in the US

The ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) is a tiny songbird in the warbler family native to the New World (Parulidae). This migratory bird breeds in eastern North America and spends the winter in Central America, the Caribbean, Florida, and northern Venezuela.

Quick Overview: Seiurus Aurocapilla – Ovenbird
Body size: Around 6 in (15 cm) and a weight of 20 g (0.7 oz)
Main colors: Olive-Brown, White, Orange, Black, Olive-Green
Range: Eastern United States
Migratory Bird: Yes
Best time of the year to see in the U.S.: June, July, August, September
Conservation Status: Least Concern

Ovenbird Description

The warbler is a small-sized ground-walker with olive-brown upperparts and extensively speckled white underparts. The head features a dull orange central crown stripe that is outlined in black, as well as a white eye-ring. Olive-green wings and tail.

Seiurus Aurocapilla - Ovenbird found in the US
Seiurus Aurocapilla – Ovenbird. Photo by: Fyn Kynd

Size

These birds have a length of 6 in (15 cm) and a weight of 20 g (0.7 oz). Their wings could range from 9 in (23 cm).

Feeding

Takes insects from leaf litter and rotten wood while wandering on the ground. (While foraging, young Ovenbirds go through a stage of hopping.) Occasionally, it explores into leaf litter, hovers to capture insects from foliage, or catches them mid-air. In the winter, individuals are likely to defend feeding territory.

Habitat

Will nest in a broad variety of forest types as long as the canopy is closed, the trees are huge, and there is little ground cover. In the winter (primarily in the tropics), it is found in forests and thickets, ranging from dry lowlands to wet foothills forests.

Behavior

Walking, Climbing, Hopping, and Other Activities Generally stroll on the ground as opposed to hopping, running, or flying. Not like waterthrushes, the tail is not bobbed up and down but is frequently pumped in a wave-like pattern, as Hermit Thrushes do. Frequently, the tail is raised high and the wings sag beneath it.

Seiurus Aurocapilla Scientific Classification

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Aves
  • Order: Passeriformes
  • Family: Parulidae
  • Genus: Seiurus
  • Species: Seiurus aurocapilla

Best time of the year to see

The best time to see these birds in the United States is during the summer season (June – September).

Distribution of the Ovenbird in the USA

Breeds from west-central Canada east through the Maritimes, and south to the Gulf Coast states and South Carolina‘s northern districts. Winters in the Gulf Coast and in Florida, as well as in southern Mexico, the West Indies, and South America.

The Ovenbird can be found in the following states in the United States – Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Seiurus Aurocapilla – Ovenbird

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