General

Olive Warbler: Medium-sized warbler with gray back, rump, and uppertail coverts, and white belly and undertail coverts. Head, throat, nape and upper breast are orange-brown; mask is black. Wings are black with two broad white bars. Tail is notched and dark gray with white edges. Female and juvenile have olive-yellow crowns and dull yellow faces, throats, and breasts.

Range and Habitat

Olive Warbler: Breeds in central and southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico; spends winters mainly south of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"peeta-peeta-peeta", "peu"

Interesting Facts

 Although the Olive Warbler has long been associated with the New World wood-warblers, evidence from anatomical and DNA studies has recently placed it in its own family, Peucedramidae.

 It has been properly associated with the species name taeniatus only since 1948. Older literature refers to it as Dendroica olivacea or Peucedramus olivaceus.

 Recent genetic evidence shows a close relationship with Old World accentors. It appears to be a relict of a New World expansion of the accentors, left behind after the last Ice Age.

 A group of warblers has many collective nouns, including "a bouquet of warblers", "a confusion of warblers", and a "wrench of warblers."

Author

Gary Owen Dick