The ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family (Parulidae). It may sometimes be confused by the untrained for a thrush.
Ovenbirds have olive-brown upperparts and white underparts heavily streaked with black; the flanks have an olive hue. A white ring surrounds the eyes, and a black stripe runs below the cheek. They have a line of orange feathers with olive-green tips running along the top of their head, bordered on each side with blackish-brown. The orange feathers can be erected to form a small crest. The eyes and the upper part of the thin pointed beak are dark, while the lower beak is horn-colored and the legs and feet are pinkish. Ovenbirds are usually heavier in winter and particularly at the start of their migration. Males and females look alike. Immature birds have tawny fringes to the tertiary remiges and sometimes buff-tipped outer primary wing coverts. Most conspicuously, the olive-green tips of the crown feathers, which are hardly visible in adult birds, are far larger in extent in immatures and cover the orange crown stripe almost or completely.
Ovenbirds breed in mature deciduous and mixed forests, especially sites with little undergrowth, across Canada and the eastern United States. They prefer to forage in woodland with abundant undergrowth of shrubs; essentially, they favor a mix of primary and secondary forests. Ovenbirds migrate to the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and from Mexico to northern South America.
Ovenbirds are territorial all year round, spending their time singly or (in the breeding season) as mated pairs, for a short time accompanied by their young. During migration, they typically travel in larger groups and disperse again once they reach their destination. The first migrants leave in late August and appear on the wintering grounds as early as September, with successive waves arriving until late October or so. They depart again to breed between late March and early May, arriving on the breeding grounds throughout April and May. Ovenbirds are active during the day. They forage on the ground in dead leaves, sometimes hovering or catching insects in flight. They frequently tilt their tails up and bob their heads while walking; at rest, the tail may be flicked up and slowly lowered again, and alarmed birds flick the tail frequently from a half-raised position. The main song of the ovenbird is a series of strident, relatively low-pitched, bisyallabic motives repeated without pause about eight times and increasing in volume. Usually, the second syllable in each motive is sharply accented: "chur-tee’ chur-tee’ chur-tee’ chur-tee’ chur-TEE chur-TEE chur-TEE!" Males utter a sweet chattering song in the air at twilight, incorporating portions of the main song into a jumble of sputtering notes and mimicry as they dive back to earth. The call is a variably pitched, sharp ‘chik!’ If the bird is excited, it may repeat this call several times. The fight call is a high, rising ‘siiii’.
Ovenbirds are carnivores (insectivores) and mainly eat terrestrial arthropods such as ants, beetles, caterpillars, flies, and snails. They also supplement their diet with fruit during winter.
Ovenbirds are typically monogamous and form pairs. They nest on the ground covered with leaves choosing an area under or near a small break in the canopy. The nest, referred to as the "oven" (which gives the bird its name), is a domed structure, woven from vegetation, and containing a side entrance. When nesting on the ground, the female can perform a distraction display, simulating a crippled bird, when a potential predator is in the vicinity of the nest. The female usually lays 4-5 eggs speckled with brown or gray. Incubation lasts for 11-14 days and is done by the female only. Chicks are blind and helpless when they hatch and are fed by both parents. They start to fly at 8-11 days of age and become independent around 30 days after hatching.
Ovenbirds are not threatened at present. However, their forest habitat is being fragmented and thus decreases suitable nesting sites. Ovenbirds are also vulnerable to nest parasitism by the Brown-headed cowbird, which is becoming more plentiful in some areas.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the ovenbird is 26 million mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
