Grace's Warbler

Overview

Grace's Warbler: Medium flycatching warbler with gray upperparts and black streaks on back and crown. Underparts are white with dark streaks on sides and yellow on throat and breast. Yellow eyebrows turn white behind eyes. Wings are dark with two white bars. Tail is dark with white outer feathers.

Range and Habitat

Grace's Warbler: Breeds from southern Nevada, Utah, and Colorado southward along the mountains of the southwest. Spends winters south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Preferred habitats include coniferous or mixed forests.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Grace's Warbler is named for Grace Darlington Coues, the sister of Dr. Elliott Coues, who discovered it and asked his friend, Spencer Fullerton Baird, to name it after Grace.
Like the vast majority of warblers, it is totally insectivorous. It will often hover to inspect pine cones for insect larvae.
This little bird lives high up in pine forests, thus making it difficult to observe. As a result, not much is known about its life history.
A group of warblers has many collective nouns, including a "bouquet", "confusion", "fall", and "wrench" of warblers.

The Grace’s Warbler is a small perching bird discovered in the Rocky Mountains in 1864. Breeding grounds of this species are found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico in open, mixed pine and oak forests. During the winter months, Grace’s Warbler migrates to Central America, and may be found as far south as Nicaragua. There is very little known about the nesting habits of this bird, as nests are rarely found. However, it is thought that nests are placed in very high pine trees. Much like other warblers, Grace’s Warbler in insectivorous, and will often hover over pine cones in search of insect larvae. The current conservation rating of Grace’s Warbler is Least Concern.