Seiurus aurocapilla
The Ovenbird (*Seiurus aurocapilla*) is a distinctive New World warbler of the family Parulidae, known for its terrestrial habits and loud, emphatic song. Averaging 11-16 cm in length with a wingspan of 18-26 cm and weighing 17-28 grams, its upperparts are olive-brown, contrasting with pristine white underparts adorned with bold, black streaking across the breast and flanks. Its most prominent field mark is a bright orange crown, often concealed but bordered by black stripes, set above a whit...
Found primarily in mature deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests with a dense understory, often favoring moist slopes and ravines. They typically inhabit low to mid-elevation woodlands.
Their diet consists almost entirely of insects and other invertebrates, such as beetles, ants, caterpillars, spiders, and occasionally small snails. They forage by walking along the forest floor, gleaning and flipping leaf litter.
Ovenbirds are primarily diurnal, ground-dwelling warblers, recognized by their distinctive walking gait and head-bobbing motion as they forage. They meticulously scour the forest floor, flipping leaves and probing the leaf litter for invertebrates. Males are highly territorial during the breeding...
The Ovenbird has an expansive breeding range across eastern North America, stretching from central Canada (Manitoba eastward through Quebec and the Maritime Provinces) south through the eastern United States, reaching northern Georgia and Alabama, and west to eastern Kansas and Nebraska. A disjun...
Least Concern
- The Ovenbird gets its name from its unique, domed nest built on the forest floor, which resembles an old-fashioned outdoor oven. - Its loud, emphatic 'teacher-teacher-teacher' song is one of the loudest songs of any warbler and can be heard over long distances through dense forest. - Unlike mos...