Setophaga plumbea
The Plumbeous Warbler (Setophaga plumbea) is a strikingly understated member of the New World Warbler family, aptly named for its leaden-gray plumage. Measuring approximately 12-14 cm (4.7-5.5 inches) in length with a weight ranging from 8-12 grams, this small songbird is uniformly dull gray across its back, crown, and flanks, transitioning to a lighter, often white, belly. Key field marks include two crisp white wing bars, bright white undertail coverts, and a distinctive broken white eye-ri...
Primarily inhabits arid montane coniferous and mixed woodlands, especially Pinyon-Juniper, Oak-Juniper, and Pine-Oak forests, at elevations typically between 1,500 and 2,700 meters (5,000-9,000 feet).
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of arthropods including caterpillars, beetles, flies, and spiders, which they glean from the foliage and bark of trees.
Plumbeous Warblers are active, arboreal foragers, spending most of their day meticulously gleaning insects from the foliage of pinyon pines and junipers, often seen hanging upside down to inspect needles or cones. They exhibit strong territoriality during the breeding season, with males defending...
The Plumbeous Warbler is primarily distributed across the arid montane regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. In the U.S., its breeding range extends through central and southern Utah, western Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and the Guadalupe Mountains of western Texas. South of the...
Least Concern
- The name "Plumbeous" refers to its lead-gray plumage, derived from the Latin word "plumbum" meaning lead. - Unlike many brightly colored warblers, its understated gray coloration helps it blend seamlessly into the lichen-covered bark and sparse foliage of its pinyon-juniper habitat. - It's a sp...