Birdsong field guide
Red-faced Warbler
Cardellina rubrifrons
A striking high-elevation wood-warbler uniquely identified by its vibrant crimson face and throat set against a charcoal-and-light-gray body.
What it sounds like
A clear, sweet, and rapid series of whistled notes, often transcribed as 'tsit-tsit-tsit-tsit-tsyu-tsyu-tswee'.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
0:00 / 0:34
Field notes
- It is the only North American warbler species featuring a bright red face and breast paired with a black crown.
- Despite foraging in the forest canopy, it is a ground-nesting species, concealing its cup nest in steep banks or under leaf litter.
- The species has a very restricted breeding range, primarily found in the 'Sky Islands' of Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.
- It frequently employs a 'hover-gleaning' technique to capture insects from the underside of foliage in the tops of coniferous trees.
- Its population is sensitive to fire suppression, as it prefers the more open understory found in naturally maintained montane forests.
Habitat
High-altitude montane forests, specifically pine-oak and mixed-conifer zones between 6,000 and 9,000 feet.
Range
Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico during breeding; winters in the highlands of Southern Mexico and Central America.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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