26-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA - CHESTNUT SIDED WARBLER (Setophaga pensylvanica)

The chestnut-sided warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica ) is a New World warbler. They breed in eastern North America and in southern Canada westwards to the Canadian Prairies. They also breed in the Great Lakes region and in the eastern United States.

Countries

Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Canada, United States, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela 

This species is a moderately-sized New World warbler. Despite having very different plumage, it is thought to be closely related to the widespread yellow warbler.

In the summer, male chestnut-sided warblers are unmistakable in appearance. They display dark-streaked gray backs, white faces, black eyestripes and yellow crowns. Their underparts are white, with chestnut flanks, and they also have two white wing bars. The adult females resemble washed-out versions of the summer male, and in particular, the females lack the strong head pattern, and also have little to no chestnut coloring on their flanks.