Virginia’s Warbler (Leiothlypis virginiae) is a quick, restless bird of shrubby hillsides and pinyon-juniper slopes in Arizona’s mountains. Gray above with a soft yellow breast patch, yellow rump, and a hidden reddish crown, it is easily overlooked until it gives its sharp “chip” calls or bursts into song—a lively series of buzzy notes. Virginia’s Warbler nests close to the ground, often beneath shrubs or tufts of grass, where its nest is hidden in leaf litter. Its breeding range in Arizona includes mountain ranges from the Huachucas to the Santa Catalinas and northward along the Mogollon Rim. It feeds mainly on small insects and caterpillars, actively flicking its tail as it moves through vegetation. In late summer, it migrates south to winter in the oak woodlands of western Mexico.
