MEGA-ish: Crescent-chested Warbler in Arizona

A Crescent-chested Warbler was reported yesterday from the Chiricahua Mountains.

This beautiful tropical parulid–a bit like a cross between a Tennessee Warbler and a Northern Parula–has become more common, or at least more commonly detected, in Arizona over the past several years, with an apparent breeding record from higher up in the Chiricahuas a couple of summers ago. Last week at the IOU meeting, I predicted that this species would become the Rufous-capped Warbler of the next decade, and so far, I seem to be right. Even a blind hog….

Finding this bird, if it lingers, can be made easier by learning the song: a high-pitched, thin, buzzy trill on one pitch (which I guess would be a tremolo, not a trill). It’s notoriously insect-like–without sounding particularly like any specific insect.