Family New World Warblers (Parulidae)

Least Concern

Plumbeous Warbler (Setophaga plumbea)

Taxonomy

French: Paruline caféiette German: Grauwaldsänger Spanish: Reinita plúmbea

Taxonomy:

Dendrœca [sic] plumbea

Lawrence

, 1877,

Dominica

Species is sister to both S. pharetra and S. angelae. Birds from Guadeloupe, supposedly on average darker above and sometimes faintly mottled darker on throat and breast, proposed as a geographical race, guadeloupensis, but considered inseparable from birds elsewhere in species’ range; recent study found relatively little genetic variation among populations. Monotypic.

Distribution:

Guadeloupe, Terre de Haut, Marie-Galante and Dominica, in Lesser Antilles.

Descriptive notes

12–14 cm; 8·4–11·3 g. Has head and upperparts grey, white supercilium broken over eye, white spot below eye; broad white tips on greater and median... read more

Voice

Song short and simple but quite melodic, can be transcribed as “pa-pi-a” or... read more

Habitat

Dry lowland scrub-forest, montane forest and elfin forest with dense understorey, and rainforest.

Food and feeding

Feeds mainly on insects; takes some berries. Forages mainly by gleaning at low levels, mostly in understorey.

Breeding

Laying in Mar–Jul. Nest a cup of leaves and rootlets, lined with softer material, placed low in bush or bromeliad. Clutch 2–3... read more

Movements

Sedentary.

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Restricted-range species: present in Lesser Antilles EBA. Generally common throughout its limited range. No population estimates... read more

Bibliography

Public comments

Scientific classification

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Parulidae

— Show family text —

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: Setophaga Swainson, 1827

— Show genus text —

Previously restricted to a single species (S. ruticilla); but comprehensive molecular phylogeny reveals that this species is deeply embedded within large clade that includes two species formerly in Parula (S. americana and S. pitiayumi) and another (S. citrina) traditionally in Wilsonia, as well as all species previously treated in Dendroica#R; Catharopeza might also be subsumed into this genus#R, but better maintained as a separate monospecific genus, in view of unusual morphology and behaviour, as well as its basal position in the clade. As type species of Parula, Wilsonia and Dendroica are all included in present grouping, these names become synonyms of oldest available name for this clade, Setophaga.

See full taxonomic structure and notes