Orange-crowned Warbler
Learn to identify the Orange-crowned Warbler by ear. Master the "tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-ti-ti-ti" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Orange-crowned Warbler sounds like
A small, subtly plumaged warbler that rewards careful observation. Although its name suggests a bright orange crown, this patch is usually hidden beneath olive-gray feathers and is rarely seen in the field. Instead, look for a plain face, faint broken eye-ring, yellowish underparts that often show the strongest color on the undertail coverts, and a thin pointed bill built for gleaning insects.
“tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-ti-ti-ti”
How to tell it apart
Where you'll hear it
Breeds in open shrubby habitats including willow and alder thickets, regenerating boreal forest, oak and chaparral slopes, and montane scrub. During migration and on the wintering grounds it frequents a wide variety of low, brushy growth, gardens, hedgerows, riparian corridors, and coastal scrub.
One of the earliest migrant warblers: spring passage begins as early as March in the southern U.S. and peaks April–May farther north; fall migration runs August–October. On the wintering grounds individuals defend small feeding territories.