Parula
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P. gutturalis |
Parula is a small genus of New World warblers which breed in North and South America. Linnaeus in 1758 named the Northern Parula as a tit, Parus americanus, and as taxonomy developed the genus name was modified first to Parulus and then the current form. The family name, Parulidae, of course also derives form this source.
The four species are:
- Flame-throated Warbler, Parula gutturalis
- Crescent-chested Warbler, Parula superciliosa
- Northern Parula, Parula americana
- Tropical Parula, Parula pitiayumi
The first two of these are sometimes placed in the genus Vermivora. The two named as parulas are very closely related and form a superspecies.
These birds are mainly resident breeders except for the Northern Parula which winters south of its breeding ranges in Central America and the West Indies.
Parula warblers are tiny, 11-12 cm long. They have yellow, orange or red throats, with the colour extending further down the underparts in some species. The upperparts and wings are various shades of grey or blue-grey, and the mantle is greener or blacker than the rest of the back.
The breeding habitat is woodlands with clearings. These warblers nest low in a tree or on the ground, laying 3-7 eggs in a cup nest.
Parula warblers feed on insects and spiders, often caught by flycatching, and they have distinctive buzzing songs and loud chip calls.
[edit] References
- New World Warblers by Curson, Quinn and Beadle, ISBN 0-7136-3932-6
- ffrench, Richard (1991). A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago, 2nd edition, Comstock Publishing. ISBN 0-8014-9792-2.
- Hilty, Steven L (2003). Birds of Venezuela. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5.
- dictionary.com for derivation
- Merriam Webster dictionary for derivation
