Cardellina rubrifrons
male
The Red-faced Warbler is an unmistakable little songbird. The sexes are subtly dissimilar. Adult males have a gray back with a white rump and white patch on the nape. The wings are gray with a white wingbar and the tail is dark gray. The head is adorned with a red face and a black hood. The underparts are whitish, washed pale gray on the breast. Adult females are similar to an adult male, but the color on the face is duller and orange-toned. Immatures are similar to an adult female but the back is buffish gray.
The Red-faced Warbler is a southwestern specialty, present in its range in Arizona and New Mexico mainly from May to August. It spends the rest of the year in Central America. Although it forages actively for insects, it will also undertake flycatching forays from a perch.
male
FACT FILE
LENGTH 5.5 in (14 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates
HABITAT Montane oak and pine forests
STATUS Locally common summer visitor
VOICE Song is a whistled tsee-wee, tsee-we, tsee-wee, tsiweo. Call is a sharp tchup
