Fan-tailed Warbler
Fan-tailed Warbler
Basileuterus lachrymosus
At a Glance
In Mexico and Central America, this large warbler is a shy denizen of the understory in dense woods. As it skulks near the ground, it often flips its long tail about or fans it wide open, displaying the white spots at the tip. Lone Fan-tailed Warblers have strayed into Arizona a few times, mostly appearing in late spring in canyons just north of the border.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Behavior
Flitter, Rapid Wingbeats
Range & Identification
Description
5 3/4" (15 cm). Large and long-tailed for a warbler, with white tips on outer tail feathers; spreads and flips tail while perched. Very dark above with yellow crown patch, white spots around eye. Yellow below, with brownish wash across chest.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow
Wing Shape
Broad, Pointed
Tail Shape
Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Song a clear, whistled tyew tyew tyew tyew whee-ta-wee, falling then rising. Call a distinctive, descending tseeoo.
Call Pattern
Falling, Rising
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Whistle
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