The Grace’s warbler (Setophaga graciae) is a tiny warbler found in New World pine forests. Elliott Coues discovered Grace’s warbler in the Rocky Mountains in 1864. He requested that the new species be named after his 18-year-old sister, Grace Darling Coues, and Spencer Fullerton Baird accepted his request when he officially described the species in 1865.
Quick Overview: Setophaga Graciae – Grace’s Warbler
Body size: Around 4.75 in (12 cm) and a weight of 9 g (0.3 oz)
Main colors: Gray, Black, White, Yellow
Range: Southern United States
Migratory Bird: Yes
Best time of the year to see in the U.S.: June, July, August, September
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Grace’s Warbler Description
On the top, it is primarily gray with broken black streaks over the back and flanks and two white bars on the wings. The throat and breast are an intense yellow color, while the remainder of the underparts is white.
Size
These birds have a length of 4.75 in (12 cm) and a weight of 9 g (0.3 oz). Their wings could range from 7.75 in (20 cm).
Feeding
According to what is known from limited studies, Grace’s warbler, like the great majority of warblers, feeds only on insects and spiders. It spends the majority of its time high in pine trees.
Habitat
Mountain pine-oak woods. During the breeding season, found primarily on the tops of pine trees, but occasionally in thickets of spruce, fir, and oak in the Southwest’s higher mountains. In the winter, inhabits pine-oak forests in the mountains of Mexico.
Behavior
Grace’s warblers’ breeding behaviors are largely unknown, as nests are quite rare. The nest is a little cup made of plant fibers, lined on the inside with hair and feathers, and perched high above the ground on a branch of a tree, generally a pine. The female produces three to five white or cream-colored eggs with brown speckles and a ringed bigger end.
Setophaga Graciae Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Parulidae
- Genus: Setophaga
- Species: Setophaga graciae
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 Grace’s Warbler in the USA
Breeds from southern Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, to northern Mexico, following the southwest’s mountains. Winters south of the US-Mexico border, while some individuals winter in southern California‘s coastal regions.
Grace’s Warbler can be found in the following states in the United States – Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma.
