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Home > Coniferous Forest Animals > Ovenbird

Ovenbird

The ovenbird, commonly found In the Caribbean Islands, northern Venezuela, and Florida, along with other places, is a songbird. It is also a migratory species of bird that is named after its oven-type nest.

Ovenbird

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae
Genus Seiurus
Scientific Name Seiurus aurocapilla
Ovenbird Bird
Ovenbird Nest Picture

Quick Information

DescriptionSize:  4.3-6.3 in (10.9-16 cm)

Wingspan: 7.5–10.2 in (19.05-25.9 cm)

Weight:  0.50-1.02 oz (18.9-28.9 g)

Color:  The upperpart is olive brown and the underpart is white but there are black streaks, white rings around the eyes, and the black stripes underneath the cheek, horn-colored beak and legs are pink
Distribution Central America and eastern Northern America  
Habitat Lowland, mixed and deciduous forests
Sounds & Calls “churr-tee” “churr-tee”, “chik”, and “siiii”
Lifespan Around 11 years
Diet Snails, earthworms, spiders, and other insects
Adaptations Right at the time of their migration, they gain weight that helps them migrate in a certain way
Predators Cowbirds, chipmunks, and broad-winged hawks, and barred owls
IUCN Conservation Status Least Concern
Ovenbird Image
Ovenbird Picture

Behavior

  • Male ovenbirds are extremely territorial
  • The birds are solitary during the winter migration
  • They have a certain pattern of hopping, dashing and foraging

Mating and Reproduction

Male and female ovenbirds choose either mixed or deciduous forests for their mating when after a brief courtship, the female bird builds an oven-shaped nest with leaves, bark, stems, and hairs. The location of the nest is 60-70 ft interior from the border of the forest. The female lays 3-6 eggs per brood. Sizing around 0.9 in (each egg) and white in color with some reddish-brown spots. All eggs are incubated for 11-14 days.

Ovenbird Nest
Ovenbird Eggs

Life-cycle

Young hatchlings are born with eyes closed and covered in brown colored down. Both their parents feed them. They young ones take their first flights after 8-11 days of birth.

Interesting Facts

  • The famous poet Robert Frost has a poem named after the bird “ The Oven Bird”.
  • The well known American poet Robert Bly also used the reference of the bird by mentioning “The Nimble Oven Bird”, in his poem known as “The Slim Fir Seeds”.
  • The genus name  Seiurus is a combination of two Greek words like “SEIO” and “Oura”. These two words mean ‘to shake’ and ‘ tail’ respectably. The scientific name Aurocapilla means ‘golden hairs’ in Latin.

References

  1. https://bwdmagazine.com/learn/identification/ovenbird/
  2. https://abcbirds.org/bird/ovenbird/
  3. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ovenbird/lifehistory#
  4. https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/ovenbi1/cur/introduction

Published on June 13th 2019 by Sahana Kanjilal under Coniferous Forest Animals.
Article was last reviewed on 9th May 2023.

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