ID Keys: Light gray overall with rusty "cap" upper part of the base
of the tail
The
Lucy's Warbler is a rather plain looking but unusual warbler of the deserts
of the American Southwest. They are the only warbler that summers and
nests in the Sonoran Desert region. They are the smallest of the North
American Warblers. The species was named for the daughter of
well-known ornithologist Spencer Fullerton Baird.
Habitat
Lucy's Warblers are most often found in
and around streamside vegetation or in vegetation near usually dry drainage
areas such as desert washes.
Diet
Feeds almost entirely on insects.
Behavior
Most foraging is done by clambering
through the foliage of desert trees and shrubs, searching for insects. On
occasion they will also fly out to capture insects in mid-air.
Nesting
The nest of a Lucy's Warbler is in
usually in a tree cavity such as an old woodpecker hole, or in the crevices
of loose bark. The nest is made of fine grasses and weeds, strips of
bark, and the leaf stems of mesquite trees. The female is thought to
do the majority of the incubation of the eggs, but both parents forage for
food and help to raise the young.
Song
The song of a Lucy's Warbler is a constant
trill with period changes in pitch.
Migration
Lucy's Warblers summer in parts of the
southwestern U.S. and far northwestern Mexico. They move a relatively
short distance into western Mexico for the winter.
Unlikely to be mistaken for another warbler species. Most confusion
would likely be with other small plain gray birds, such as
Bell's Vireo, or Gnatcatcher species.
