Red-faced Warbler

Cardellina rubrifrons

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family PARULIDAE

Menu

1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

The Red-faced Warbler is a colorful bird of the Mexican mountains. In the United States it is found only in the high elevation forests of Arizona and New Mexico.

Cool Facts

• Either sex can solicit copulations in the breeding season. Both quiver their wings when soliciting. The male shows off his white rump patch as much as possible, keeping it oriented to the female while moving around her.

• Extra-pair copulations are common in the species. Over 45% of all nests in one study contained young that did not belong to the apparent breeding male.

• The Red-faced Warbler seems to be sensitive to disturbance of its breeding habitat. Logging can cause the decrease in numbers or complete disappearance from an area.

Description

• Size: 14 cm (6 in)
• Wingspan: 21 cm (8 in)
• Weight: 8-11 g (0.28-0.39 ounces)

• Small songbird.
• Face and upper breast bright red.
• Body gray.
• Black patch on top of head and down face.

• Black extending across top of head, down face behind eye, ending in point at base of chin.
• Red on face behind black patch. White spot on nape.
• Back and tail medium gray.
• Underparts whitish gray.
• Rump whitish.
• Single, faint upper wingbar may be present.
• Red eyering.
• Bill Black.
• Legs black.

Sex Differences

Sexes similar, female has paler and more orange-red face.

Immature

Similar to adult, but with brownish wash overall and dull pinkish orange in face and breast.

Similar Species

• The Painted Redstart has a black head, red on chest, and large white patches in the wings and tail.
• If the head is not seen, the Red-faced Warbler could be confused with a chickadee or titmouse, though neither of these species has a white rump (or a red head!).

Sound

Song a musical series of warbling notes, rising and falling in pitch.

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds in mountains of central and southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, southward into central Mexico.

Winter Range

Winters in central Mexico and northern Central America.

Habitat

Breeds in high elevation fir, pine, and pine-oak forests.

Food

Insects, especially caterpillars.

Behavior

Foraging

Gleans insects from outer branches of trees, and flycatches.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest placed in small hole in ground, beneath a log or plant. Cup of bark, dead leaves or pine needles. Lined with grass and hair.

Egg Description

White with fine brown speckles, concentrated around larger end.

Clutch Size

3-6 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless with sparse down.

Conservation Status

Populations difficult to track; may be declining slightly.

Other Names

Paruline à face rouge (French)
Coloradito, Gorjeador cora roja, Gorjeador cabecirroja, Chipe de cara roja (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

1. Martin, T. E., and P. M. Barber. 1995. Red-faced Warbler (Cardellina rubrifrons). In The Birds of North America, No. 152 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
2. Pyle, P. 1997. Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part I. Columbidae to Ploceidae. Slate Creek Press, Bolinas, CA.