| New World warbler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Superfamily: | Emberizoidea |
| Family: | Parulidae Wetmore et al., 1947 |
| Type genus | |
| Parula Bonaparte, 1838 | |
| Synonyms | |
Mniotiltidae | |
TheNew World warblers orwood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful,passerinebirds that make up the familyParulidae and are restricted to theNew World. The family contains 120 species. They are not closely related toOld World warblers orAustralian warblers. Most arearboreal, but some, like theovenbird and the twowaterthrushes, are primarily terrestrial. Most members of this family areinsectivores.
This group likely originated in northernCentral America, where the greatest number of species and diversity between them is found. From there, they spread north during the interglacial periods, mainly asmigrants, returning to the ancestral region in winter. Two genera,Myioborus andBasileuterus, seem to have colonizedSouth America early, perhaps before the two continents were linked, and together constitute most warbler species of that region.
The scientific name for the family, Parulidae, originates from the fact thatLinnaeus in1758 named thenorthern parula as atit,Parus americanus, and as taxonomy developed, the genus name was modified first toParulus and then toParula. The family name derives from the name for the genus.
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| Cladogram showing the relationships between the genera[1][2] |
The family Parulidae was introduced for the New World warblers in 1947 by American ornithologistAlexander Wetmore and collaborators withParula as thetype genus.[3]Parula is now considered as ajunior synonym ofSetophaga.[2]
The family was formerly thought to besister to a clade containing theyellow-breasted chat in its own family Icteriidae, thewrenthrush in its own family Zeledoniidae, the two Cuban warblers in the familyTeretistridae and the 109 species in the familyIcteridae.[4][1] However, more recent studies recover them as sister to a clade containing just the yellow-breasted chat and the Icteridae, with the clade containing all three families being sister to a clade containing the chat-tanagers inCalyptophilidae, the wrenthrush, and thePhaenicophilidae.[5]
Amolecular phylogenetic study of the Parulidae published in 2010 found that the species formed several major clades that did not align with the traditional genera.[2] This led to a major reorganization of the species within the family to create monophyletic genera. The changes have generally followed the recommendations of the authors of the study except in a few cases where the proposed genera were split to separatebasal species from their proposed conspecifics.[1][2]
A large clade that included the 29 species then placed in the genusDendroica, also included four species ofParula, one of the three species ofWilsonia and themonotypic generaCatharopeza andSetophaga. All members of the clade apart from thebasalCatharopeza were placed in the expanded genusSetophagaSwainson, 1827, which under the rules of theInternational Code of Zoological Nomenclature, hadpriority overDendroicaGray, 1842,WilsoniaBonaparte, 1838, andParula Bonaparte, 1838.[1][2]
The species that had traditionally been placed inBasileuterus formed two clades. One group retains the genus name as it includes thegolden-crowned warbler, thetype species for the genus. The other larger group, now with 18 species, is placed in the resurrected genusMyiothlypisCabanis, 1850, as it contains the type species, theblack-crested warbler.[1][2]
The genusMyioborus containing the whitestarts remained unchanged after the reorganization but six genera were no longer used:Dendroica,Ergaticus,Euthlypis,Parula,Wilsonia andPhaeothlypis.[1][2]
The family Parulidae now contains 120 species divided into 18 genera.[1]
| Image | Genus | Living Species |
|---|---|---|
.jpg) | SeiurusSwainson, 1827 |
|
 | HelmitherosRafinesque, 1819 |
|
 | ParkesiaSangster, 2008 |
|
.jpg) | VermivoraSwainson, 1827 |
|
.jpg) | MniotiltaVieillot, 1816 |
|
_Sabine_Woods_TX_2018-04-21_12-18-49_(41971935551).jpg) | ProtonotariaBaird, 1858 |
|
.jpg) | LimnothlypisStone, 1914 |
|
 | OreothlypisRidgway, 1884 |
|
.jpg) | LeiothlypisSangster, 2008 |
|
 | LeucopezaSclater, 1876 |
|
 | OporornisBaird, 1858 |
|
 | GeothlypisCabanis, 1847 |
|
 | CatharopezaP.L. Sclater, 1880 |
|
.jpg) | SetophagaSwainson, 1827 |
|
 | MyiothlypisCabanis, 1850 |
|
.jpg) | BasileuterusCabanis, 1848 |
|
.jpg) | CardellinaBonaparte, 1850 |
|
.jpg) | MyioborusBaird, 1865 |
|
Some species that were previously placed in the Parulidae have been moved to other families:[1][2][4]
All the warblers are fairly small. The smallest species isLucy's warbler (Oreothlypis luciae), with a weight of around 6.5 g (0.23 oz) and an average length of 10.6 cm (4.2 in). TheParkesia waterthrushes, the ovenbird, therusset-crowned warbler, andSemper's warbler, all of which can exceed 15 cm (5.9 in) and 21 g (0.74 oz), may be considered the largest.
The migratory species tend to lay larger clutches of eggs, typically up to six, since the hazards of their journeys mean that many individuals will have only one chance to breed. In contrast, the laying of two eggs is typical for many tropical species, since the chicks can be provided with better care, and the adults are likely to have further opportunities for reproduction.
Many migratory species, particularly those which breed further north, have distinctive male plumage at least in the breeding season, since males need to reclaim territory and advertise for mates each year. This tendency is particularly marked in the large genusSetophaga (formerlyDendroica). In contrast, resident tropical species, which pair for life, show little if anysexual dimorphism, but exceptions occur. TheParkesia waterthrushes and ovenbird are strongly migratory, but have identical male and female plumage, whereas the mainly tropical and sedentaryyellowthroats are dimorphic. TheGranatellus chats also show sexual dimorphism, but due to recent genetic work, have been moved into the familyCardinalidae (New World buntings and cardinals).
The name warbler is a misnomer for the New World group of warblers established before the family was split from theOld World warbler in the 1830s.The Random House Dictionary defines "to warble" as "to sing with trills." Most New World warblers do not warble, but rather "lisp, buzz, hiss, chip, rollick, or zip."[6]