Birdsong field guide
Red Warbler
Cardellina rubra
A striking, nearly all-crimson wood-warbler endemic to the high-altitude forests of Mexico, easily identified by its contrasting ear patches.
What it sounds like
A high-pitched, thin 'tsip' call and a complex, rapid song composed of clear whistles and trills.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Field notes
- It is one of only two wood-warbler species with predominantly red plumage across its entire body.
- The species is divided into three subspecies distinguished by ear patch color, ranging from bright white in the north to silvery-gray in the south.
- Unlike most wood-warblers, it is a ground-nester, constructing a roofed cup nest made of pine needles and dead leaves.
- Juveniles possess a distinctly different cinnamon-brown plumage before molting into their adult crimson feathers.
- It often serves as a 'nuclear' species in mixed-species foraging flocks, helping to lead and organize groups of various insectivorous birds.
Habitat
High-elevation pine-oak and fir forests with a dense woody understory.
Range
Endemic to the highlands of Mexico, primarily along the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and the Sierra Madre mountains.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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