Family New World Warblers (Parulidae)

Least Concern

Colima Warbler (Leiothlypis crissalis)

Taxonomy

French: Paruline de Colima German: Colimawaldsänger Spanish: Reinita de Colima

Taxonomy:

Helminthophila crissalis

Salvin and Godman

, 1889,

Sierra Nevada de Colima, Mexico

Sometimes considered conspecific with both L. ruficapilla and L. virginiae, although this treatment is very rarely accepted. Recent authors have suggested a close relationship with L. celata, based on similarities in size, shape, song and habitat. Monotypic.

Distribution:

Extreme S USA (Chisos Mts, in extreme SW Texas) and mountains of NE Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, NE Zacatecas, N San Luis Potosí and SW Tamaulipas). Migrates to non-breeding grounds on Pacific slope of W Mexico from Sinaloa to Guerrero (mainly Jalisco and Michoacán), also in small numbers in Morelos and Distrito Federal.

Descriptive notes

13·5 cm; 8–11·5 g. The largest and brownest member of genus. Crown and upperparts are grey-brown, crown with semi-concealed rufous patch, side of head... read more

Voice

Song a musical trill, varying in pitch, rather similar to that of L. celata; usual call a... read more

Habitat

Breeds in pine-oak (Pinus-Quercus), oak and pinyon-juniper (Pinus-... read more

Food and feeding

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates, especially spiders (Araneae) and lepidopteran larvae. Gleans and occasionally flycatches... read more

Breeding

Season May–Jul, egg-laying May–Jun. In areas of highest density, inter-nest distance can be as little as 100 m. Nest a cup of... read more

Movements

Short-distance migrant, moving S & SW over C plateau of Mexico to reach wintering grounds.... read more

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Northern Sierra Madre Oriental EBA. Generally fairly common to common, but... read more

Bibliography

Public comments

Scientific classification

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Parulidae

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Previously considered to include species now separated in Peucedramidae, Zeledoniidae and Teretistridae, as well as two genera now in Phaenicophilidae. The most comprehensive molecular phylogeny of present family to date#R recovered nine principal clades; almost all genera correspond to well-supported units, while two confined to West Indies are maintained based on other characters. Several traditionally recognized genera prove to be paraphyletic or otherwise unsustainable: Dendroica is abandoned because Setophaga is nested within it and has priority; Ergaticus is embedded within the clade occupied by Cardellina; Euthlypis is subsumed within Basileuterus; Oporornis is restricted to one species while its former congeners are removed to Geothlypis; Parula proves to be widely paraphyletic (two species move to Setophaga, the rest to a resurrected Oreothlypis); Phaeothlypis is indistinguishable from Myiothlypis; and the three Wilsonia are more correctly placed in Cardellina (two species) and Setophaga (one).

Genus: Leiothlypis Sangster, 2008

— Show genus text —

Previously placed in Vermivora, but recently shown#R to be more closely related to species now in Oreothlypis (see above); may be sister to Oreothlypis, and perhaps better treated as congeneric.

See full taxonomic structure and notes