The Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) is a very common, much loved warbler here in New Brunswick during spring, summer and fall. Its 'teacher, teacher, teacher' call is heard almost everywhere. It is a sure species to put on your list when out summer birding.
The ovenbird is a large warbler (15 cm / 6 inches long) which prefers mature deciduous or mixed, open forests with little undergrowth. It spends much of its time walking on the ground where it feeds. When seen in the trees it is often just mid-way up. This species is olive brown on its upperparts, white below with bright black stripes in its breast, sides, and throat. It has a bold white eyering and a dark crown stripe with dull orange between two dark lines. It often holds its tail up and often looks like a thrush, but smaller. It walks with an awkward gait and often bobs its head.
The Ovenbird breeds in most of Canada from the Rockies east to the Maritimes and Newfoundland, southward to most of the eastern US down to northern Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. It spends its winters on the Gulf Coast, Florida, southern Mexico, the West Indies and South America.
The Ovenbird is named for the unusual nest it builds. It makes a covered nest on the ground which is domed or oven-shaped with a side door. It is made of dried leaves and plant fibres and lined with fine grasses. The 3 to 6 white eggs flecked with gray or brown are incubated by the female for 11 to 14 days. The female will perform a broken wing display to lure possible predators away from the nest. I have actually seen this display. It took me awhile to figure out what the bird was doing. Ovenbirds eat insects, spiders, snails, worms and sometimes seeds and other vegetation. We have had one stay at one of our New Brunswick feeders for a good part of one winter where it ate seeds and suet.
The voice of the Ovenbird is known by most birders, 'teacher teacher teacher'. It is so familiar one needs only hear it to identify the bird without taking the time to actually see it. It does, however, have a flight song which it sometimes sings at night. This song is a long bubbling jumbled warble with some chirps and which ends with the familiar 'teacher teacher teacher'. I have never heard this song or at least did not recognize it.
What similar species would one have to differentiate an Ovenbird from (assuming you did not hear the song)? Since it looks a bit like a small thrush, you would have to look at the size. You would also have to make sure it was not a Northern Waterthrush (a warbler) which does not have the eyeing, the crown stripe and has a white supercilium which extends behind the eye.
Although the present population numbers for this species remain reasonably good, one cannot assume all is well. This species is vulnerable to forest fragmentation. Fortunately that is one aspect of forest protection that is now being monitored. I am not sure how well but we hope it is diligent to protect this and other forest species.
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