Red-faced Warbler

The Red-faced Warbler is one of North America's most striking wood-warblers, instantly recognizable thanks to its vivid red face and throat, a pattern shared by no other US bird. It breeds in cool, high-elevation forests of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, extending south through the mountains of Mexico.

The body is otherwise soft gray above and pale gray-white below, with a black cap and ear patch framing the red face, and a conspicuous white patch on the nape and rump. The overall effect is a bird that looks almost painted, and it is a major draw for birders visiting the sky-island mountain ranges of the Southwest.

Key field marks

• Bright red face and throat
• Black crown and cheek patch surrounding the red
• Clean gray back and wings, whitish underparts
• White patch on the nape and rump, visible especially in flight
• No wing bars

Similar species

The Red-faced Warbler is essentially unmistakable; no other regularly occurring North American warbler combines a red face with a black cap and gray body. Painted Redstart, which shares its range, has a red breast rather than a red face and a black body with white wing patches instead of gray.

Habitat

This species favors cool, moist mixed conifer forest and pine-oak woodland at elevations generally above 2,100 m (7,000 ft), often along shaded canyon slopes with Douglas-fir, white fir, and aspen mixed with pines.

Range

In the US, Red-faced Warblers breed locally in the mountains of southeastern Arizona (Chiricahua, Santa Catalina, Pinaleno ranges, among others) and southwestern New Mexico. The species breeds more broadly south through the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico into Guatemala and Honduras.

Migration

Red-faced Warblers are medium-distance migrants that winter mainly in Mexico and northern Central America, arriving on breeding grounds in late April and departing by September.

Behavior

Red-faced Warblers forage actively in the mid and upper canopy, gleaning insects from foliage and frequently sallying out to catch prey in flight, flycatcher-style. They often flick their tails and wings while foraging, adding to their lively, energetic presence.

Voice

The song is a bright, warbling series of clear whistled notes, often described as sweet and musical, given from a perch in the canopy. The call note is a sharp, distinctive chip.

Nesting

Nests are built on the ground, typically tucked into a depression at the base of a tree, log, or rock on a forest slope, and are well hidden by surrounding vegetation and leaf litter. Females lay 3-4 eggs, and both parents help feed the young after hatching.