New World Warblers (Parulidae)

Swainson's Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii) - HBW 15, p. 765

French: Paruline de Swainson German: Swainsonwaldsänger Spanish: Reinita de Swainson

Taxonomy: Sylvia Swainsonii Audubon, 1834, no locality = Edisto River, near Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
Affinities not known. Genus has been merged with Helmitheros but, despite superficial similarities, the two are apparently not closely related; recent studies indicate that it is genetically close to Vermivora cyanoptera and V. chrysoptera and to Protonotaria citrea. Birds breeding in Appalachians described as a geographical race, alta, supposedly whiter below and browner (less olive) above in worn spring plumage; in fresh autumn plumage, however, more or less inseparable from lowland birds. Treated as monotypic.

Distribution: Breeds in SE USA S from S Missouri, SC Appalachians (West Virginia) and Virginia, and E from E Texas and SE Oklahoma, but excluding Florida Peninsula. Migrates to W Caribbean (Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Swan Is and Cayman Is) and NE Central America (mainly Yucatán Peninsula and Belize).