Other Scientific Names
Seiurus aurocapillus [Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994)], Seiurus aurocapillus [Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)], Seiurus aurocapillus [Stotz et al. (1996)]
Anguilla, Antigua And Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Canada (B), Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica (NB), Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, St Kitts And Nevis, St Lucia, St Pierre and Miquelon (B) (P), St Vincent and The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, USA (B), Venezuela, Virgin Islands (British) (NB), Virgin Islands (U.S.) (NB).
Vagrant to Ecuador, Greenland, Ireland, United Kingdom.
Population
Estimated population is 24,000,000 (2010).
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) [XC418563]
by Matt Wistrand from Cambridge, Hamilton Division, Ontario, Canada (song)
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) [XC499560]
by Sue Riffe from Crow's Nest Natural Area Preserve, Stafford County, Virginia, United States (song)
Subspecies
Rather distinct in many ways from the other two members of genus. Recent studies of mitochondrial DNA indicate that this species is sister to all other true parulids, and has been proposed that it be placed in its own monotypic genus, retaining current name of genus (of which it is the original type).
Proposed subspecies canivirens (described from Georgia, in south-eastern USA) considered indistinguishable from nominate.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
aurocapilla (Linnaeus, 1766) - Breeds southern Canada (southern Northwest Territories and north-eastern British Columbia east to southern Quebec and Nova Scotia) and southern in eastern USA to northern Louisiana and northern Georgia; migrates to non-breeding grounds in region from southern Texas and Florida south through Middle America to Panama and in Caribbean, occasionally south to northern Colombia and Venezuela.
cinereus Miller, AH, 1942 - Breeds lower eastern slope of Rocky Mts and adjacent Great Plains, from southern Alberta and Montana south to Colorado; migrates to western Middle America.
furvior Batchelder, 1918 - Breeds Newfoundland, in south-eastern Canada; migrates mainly to Cuba, Bahamas and eastern Middle America.