New World Warblers (Parulidae)

Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata) - HBW 15, p. 740

French: Paruline verdâtre German: Orangefleck-Waldsänger Spanish: Reinita Coroninaranja

Taxonomy: Sylvia celatus Say, 1823, "Engineer Cantonment, near Council Bluffs" = Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
Recent studies of mitochondrial DNA indicate that this species and V. peregrina, V. ruficapilla, V. virginiae, V. crissalis and V. luciae form a clade, separate from the two other current congeners, and should be placed in a separate genus, for which the name Leiothlypis has been proposed; Parula gutturalis and Parula superciliosa appear to be sister to this group. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

celata ( Say, 1823) - breeds Alaska and NW & S Canada (E to Quebec); migrates to wintering area mainly in SE USA, smaller numbers S to E Mexico and Guatemala.
orestera Oberholser, 1905 - breeds W Canada (SW Yukon, interior British Columbia E to SE Saskatchewan) and S in Rockies to SW USA (Arizona and New Mexico); migrates mainly to C Mexico.
lutescens ( Ridgway, 1872) - breeds N British Columbia and S in W USA to C California; winters mainly SW USA and W Mexico.
sordida ( C. H. Townsend, 1890) - coastal S California and extreme NW Mexico (N Baja California), including offshore islands.