Continuing to share my warbler photos along with information about each species, from my latest book: "Warblers of Arizona, A Guide to Finding and Photographing Warblers in Southern Arizona."
Scientific Name: Setophaga graciae
Conservation Status: Least Concern though populations have declined by 56% over the past 50 years; current population estimate is 2.1 million
Size: 4.7 inches
Description: crown, nape, and back is gray; yellow crescent under eye; yellow supercilium; black lores; small black bill; yellow throat and breast; white belly; two white wing bars; variable streaking on flanks; tail dark with white outer feathers
Male/Female: females and males are similar and difficult to identify
Range: Southern Nevada, Utah, and Colorado through Western Mexico to Nicaragua
Migration: very short migration breeding mainly in Arizona and New Mexico
Season for Arizona: April through October
Habitat: pine forests from 6,000 to 9,000 feet; spends most of its time in tree tops and rarely perches in exposed situations
Community Behavior: solitary or mixed warbler and titmouse/nuthatch flocks
Feeding Behavior: forages mostly in the very tops of pine trees
Diet: Insects and spiders, though details are unknown
Nesting Behavior: cup shaped nest among pine clusters 20-60 feet above ground; nest built by female though time to build is unknown; 3 to 4 creamy white eggs with brown spots; two broods per year; incubation and nestling periods are unknown
Where to Find in Southern Arizona: Mount Lemmon from 6,000 to 9000 feet; Huachuca’s, Chiracahua’s, and Santa Rita’s above 6,000 feet
Comments: “Discovered” by Elliott Coues in the Rocky Mountains in 1864, naming it after his 18 year old sister, Grace; one of the least known warblers due to its habitat
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