Tropical Parulas are small, attractive birds that closely resemble the Northern Parula, except they don’t have the white eyerings and black bands across the chest.
Males have blue-gray heads and backs, an olive-green back patch, and two white wingbars. They have yellow throats and bellies, a yellow-orange patch on the breast, and white rumps.
Females have the same coloring, although they’re lighter colored. They don’t have the yellow-orange marking on the breast, though.
- Setophaga pitiayumi
- Length: 4 – 4.5 inches (10 – 11 cm)
- Weight: 0.1 oz (3 g)
- Wingspan: 6.5 – 7 inches (17 – 18 cm)
Range
Tropical Parula live all year in Mexico, Central, and South America, and breeding birds migrate to southern US states.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Tropical Parulas in areas with an abundant growth of low, live oaks with a lot of Spanish moss. Wet, native woodlands are also a preferred habitat for Tropical Parulas.
The diet of Tropical Parulas is insects and spiders and the occasional berries. They may forage for food among mid-level foliage in the trees or near the streams, but there is not much information to go on.
Topical Parula’s Song:
Nests
Nests are placed above ground in hanging Spanish moss. Not much is needed to build the nest apart from the Spanish moss and the bark, roots, and grass to hold it together. Females lay three to four eggs which she incubates for about twelve days.
