New World Warblers (Parulidae)

Tennessee Warbler (Vermivora peregrina) - HBW 15, p. 739

French: Paruline obscure German: Brauenwaldsänger Spanish: Reinita de Tennessee

Taxonomy: Sylvia peregrina A. Wilson, 1811, banks of Cumberland river, Tennessee, USA.
Recent studies of mitochondrial DNA suggest that this species and V. celata, 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. Has hybridized with V. ruficapilla and Dendroica caerulescens. Monotypic.

Distribution: Breeds in Canada (Yukon and British Columbia E to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) and NE USA (S to N New England); migrates to area mainly from S Mexico S to NW South America, a few in W Caribbean.