Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus)

Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus

TAXONOMY:

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Seiurus
species: aurocapillus

MORPHOLOGY:

Adult: There is an orange crown which has a dark brown stripe extending from the nasal area to the back of the skull on either side. The eye-ring is white. The dorsal side is olive-brown and the ventral side is white with long, dark spots on the breast and flanks.
Immatures: The tail feathers are tapered.

FOOD: insectivorous during summer, seeds and other vegetation during the winter (Ehrlich et al., 1988).

MATING SYSTEM: monogamous-polygynous (Ehrlich et al., 1988).

PREENING: the ovenbird scratches its head under-wing style (Ehrlich et al., 1988).

BREEDING SYSTEM:

Where Breeds: Breeds in deciduous woodlands with ground covered in leaf-litter (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Nest: The nest is found on the ground, in a small hollow, and is doomed with leaves and debris, with a side entrance visible from above (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is a rounded, doomed structure in a small hollow made of dead leaves, pine needles, grass, weed stems, rootlets, and moss (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The inner cup is lined with hair and fine rootlets (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is made by the female in 5 days (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Breeding Season: The breeding season begins in mid-May and ends in late-July (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). This species is single-brooded (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Eggs: There are between 4 and 5 eggs laid in a clutch (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eggs are subelliptical to short subelliptical in shape and white in background color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eggs are speckled reddish-brown to reddish-buff usually in a wreath around the larger end (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The average size of an egg is 20 X 15 mm (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Incubation: The incubation period is 11 to 14 days and is done by the female (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Nestling: The young are born altricial and downy, with the down being medium gray in color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The mouth is pink and the gape flanges are yellow in the nestling (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The young fledge after 8 to 10 days in the nest and are tended by both parents (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). When the young fledge they are divided up by the parents and are fed by that parent they end up with for three more weeks (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).

MIGRATION STATUS IN WISCONSIN:
The ovenbird is a neotropical migrant.

REFERENCES:
Baicicich, P.J. and Harrison, C.J.O. 1997. A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, 2nd edition. Academic Press: San Diego.

Ehrlich, P.R., Dobkin, D.S., and Wheye, D. 1988. The Birder’s Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon and Schuster, Inc.: New York.

Stokes, D.W. and Stokes, L.Q. 1996. Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region. Little, Brown and Co.: Boston.

Last Updated: March 27, 2005

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