Parula
| Parula | |
|---|---|
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| Northern parula | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Parulidae |
| Genus: |
Parula Bonaparte, 1838 |
| Species | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Parula was formerly a small genus of New World warblers which breed in North and South America.
In 1758, Linnaeus classified the northern parula as a tit, Parus americanus, and as taxonomy developed the genus name was modified first to Parulus and then the current form. The family name, Parulidae, also derives from this source.
Most recently, the two species were:
(Flame-throated and crescent-chested warblers were formerly classified in this genus.)
Recent genetic research has suggested that Parula and Setophaga are congeneric and should be merged. As the name Setophaga (published in 1827) takes priority over Parula (published in 1838), both the species would be transferred to Setophaga where this is accepted. This change has been accepted by the North American Classification Committee of the AOU, and the IOC., however the South American Classification Committee of the AOU continues to use the genus Parula.
The northern parula winters south of its breeding ranges in Central America and the West Indies, where the tropical parula is a usually a permanent resident.
Parula warblers are tiny, 11–12 cm long. They have yellow, orange or red throats, with the color extending further down the underparts in some species. The upperparts and wings are various shades of grey or blue-gray, and the mantle is greener or blacker than the rest of the back.
The breeding habitat is woodlands with clearings. These warblers nest low in a tree or on the ground, laying 3-7 eggs in a cup nest.
Parula warblers feed on insects and spiders, often caught by flycatching, and they have distinctive buzzing songs and loud chip calls.
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Wikipedia