OVENBIRD GALLERY
(Seiurus aurocapilla)

The eBird site describes the Ovenbird as a “secretive warbler” that lacks vibrant colors, but compensates with its enormous voice. Olive-brown above with black streaks on white breast and bold white eye-ring. Orange crown bordered by black on either side. Forages for insects by walking along branches and on the ground. Breeds primarily in areas with extensive forest. Listen for its loud song that builds in volume: “tea-cher, TEA-cher, TEA-CHER!” Possible to confuse with thrushes, but smaller, and walks instead of hops. When walking, has a high stepping gait and head bobbing, often with tail raised. Winters in Central America.

Late on the morning of May 15, 2020, I was sitting at Warbler Pond in Warbler Woods Sanctuary with Susan Schaezler, who, along with her husband Don, own the Sanctuary.  It had grown very quiet and Susan said “Look low along the brushy edges…it is times like this you might see an Ovenbird”.  Well, she was right.  A short time later her husband Don joined us and in what seemed like no time at all, Don and I both spotted an Ovenbird.  I was grateful to be able to get a few shots of this “secretive” bird!  I hope you enjoy my photos from that day, and I hope to add many more photos of the Ovenbird in the future.

Ovenbird, at Warbler Pond, Warbler Woods, May 15, 2020.
This Ovenbird has the typically upraised tail.
The orange crown of this Ovenbird is clearly visible in this shot. Warbler Pond, May 15, 2020.

Some “Cool Facts” about the Ovenbird from All About Birds…

  • On its breeding ground, the Ovenbird divides up the forest environment with the other warblers of the forest floor. The Ovenbird uses the uplands and moderately sloped areas, the Worm-eating Warbler uses the steep slopes, and the Louisiana Waterthrush and the Kentucky Warbler use the low-lying areas.
  • The Ovenbird gets its name from its covered nest. The dome and side entrance make it resemble a Dutch oven.
  • The Ovenbird female weaves the cup, side entrance, and roof of her domed nest from the inside as a single, integrated piece. Then she drops leaves and twigs on top to hide it. If the chicks inadvertently dismantle the dome as they grow, the female ignores the damage.
  • The Ovenbird’s very loud song has attracted attention for years. Robert Frost’s 1916 poem “The Oven Bird” begins, “There is a singer everyone has heard, / Loud, a mid-summer and a mid-wood bird, / Who makes the solid tree trunks sound again.”
  • The Ovenbird chants 4 to 6 of its song’s tea-cher phrases per second. Each tea-cher is made up of 3 to 5 separate notes. The number of notes in each part of the phrase and how they’re sung are highly variable from individual to individual. Our ears have trouble distinguishing all of the notes, but Ovenbirds recognize each other’s songs as unique calling cards.
  • Neighboring male Ovenbirds sing together. One male starts singing, and the second will join in immediately after. They pause, and then sing one after the other again, for up to 40 songs. The second joins in so quickly that they may sound from a distance as if only one bird is singing. Ovenbirds rarely overlap the song of their neighbors.
  • The Ovenbird’s abundance, wide distribution, and relative ease of observation have made it a model songbird in scientific studies for nearly a century. Ovenbird studies have helped scientists understand the effects of logging and habitat fragmentation on migrating songbirds.
  • The oldest known Ovenbird was at least 11 years old when it was recaught and rereleased in Connecticut, the same state where it had been banded as a young bird.