Setophaga


Setophaga is a genus of birds of the New World warbler family Parulidae. It contains at least 33 species. The males in breeding plumage are often highly colorful. The Setophaga warblers are an example of adaptive radiation with the various species using different feeding techniques and often feeding in different parts of the same tree.
Most Setophaga species are long-range migrants, wintering in or near the New World tropics and seasonally migrating to breed in North America. In contrast, two Setophaga species, the palm warbler and yellow-rumped warbler, have winter ranges that extend along the Atlantic coast of North America as far north as Nova Scotia.

Taxonomy

The genus Setophaga was introduced by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1827. The type species was subsequently designated by Swainson in the same year as the American redstart Setophaga ruticilla. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ses, "moth", and phagos, "eating".
Genetic research has suggested that Dendroica and Setophaga should be merged. This change has been accepted by both the North American and South American Classification Committees of the American Ornithological Society and the IOC World Bird List. Most members of the genus as currently recognized were traditionally classified as the genus Dendroica, 29 species at the time of the merger. The only member of the genus Setophaga prior to the merger was the American redstart. As the name Setophaga takes priority over Dendroica, those who accept the merger transfer all the species below to Setophaga.

List of species