Migratory Status: Neotropical migrant
PIF Population Estimate: 
34 000 000
Percent of western hemisphere population breeding in boreal forest: 63%
BAM Effective Detection Radius (m) : 60.6
PIF Maximum Detection Distance (m) : 125
Canadian BBS Population trend: 3.7 n.s. (-0.6 to 8.0)
Life History
The Nashville Warbler has two distinct subpopulations in North America; the western subspecies (V. r. ridgwayi) and the eastern subspecies (V .r. ruficapilla). They are thought to form a superspecies with Virginia’s Warbler (V. virginiae) of the desert southwest and Colima Warbler (V. crissalisi) of the mountains of western Texas and northeastern Mexico.
In both sexes and in both subspecies, the Nashville Warbler has a gray head, white eye ring, olive green back, and yellow underparts. Males feature brighter yellow throats than females and an indistinct rufous crown patch. The western subspecies has slightly brighter yellow plumage, with more extensive white feathers on the lower belly.
The eastern subspecies breeds from central Saskatchewan east to Nova Scotia, and throughout the northeastern states and Great Lakes region south to northwestern West Virginia. The western subspecies breeds from southern interior British Columbia, south through Washington, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and California. Some western individuals winter in coastal southern California, but the majority winter from extreme southern Texas, south to northeastern El Salvador.
The Nashville Warbler has a distinct two-part song; the first part consists of a series of two-note phrases and the second part consists of a lower pitched, rapid trill.
Reference(s)
Williams, J. M. 1996. Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla), The Birds of North America, No. 205. A. Poole and F. Gill, eds. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists's Union, Washington, D.C.
