Ovenbird
Seiurus aurocapilla
The Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) is a common new world warbler found in 40 countries, weighing about 19 g. The ovenbird is a small songbird of the New World warbler family Parulidae.
About the Ovenbird
The ovenbird is a small songbird of the New World warbler family Parulidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Seiurus. This migratory bird breeds in eastern North America and winters in Central America, many Caribbean islands, Florida and northern Venezuela.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Ovenbirds are large wood warblers and may sometimes be confused by the untrained for a thrush. Adults measure 11–16 cm (4.3–6.3 in) long and span 19–26 cm (7.5–10.2 in) across the wings. They weigh 19 g (0.67 oz) on average, with a range of 14–28.8 g (0.49–1.02 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 6.8 to 8.3 cm (2.7 to 3.3 in), the tail is 5 to 5.8 cm (2.0 to 2.3 in), the bill is 1.1 to 1.3 cm (0.43 to 0.51 in) and the tarsus is 2 to 2.3 cm (0.79 to 0.91 in). They tend to be heavier in winter and particularly at the start of their migration. Voice: The main song of the ovenbird is a series of strident, relatively low-pitched, bisyallabic motives repeated without pause about eight times and increasing in volume. Usually, the second syllable in each motive is sharply accented: "chur-tee' chur-tee' chur-tee' chur-tee' chur-TEE chur-TEE chur-TEE!
What the Ovenbird sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Norway, United Kingdom, Venezuela, France, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Barthélemy, Romania.
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, July, September, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Ovenbird?
- Ovenbirds are large wood warblers and may sometimes be confused by the untrained for a thrush. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Ovenbird?
- The Ovenbird is a small sized bird weighing about 19 g.
- Where can you see an Ovenbird?
- The Ovenbird occurs in 40 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
- What does an Ovenbird sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Ovenbird on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an Ovenbird?
- The Ovenbird is most easily confused with the Palm Warbler, the Pine Warbler and the Orange-crowned Warbler.
- Is the Ovenbird endangered?
- The Ovenbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Ovenbird for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.