A land manager's guide to conserving habitat for forest birds in ...

Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
In Ontario, the Ovenbird breeds from mid-May through early July,
raising one brood per season. They lay clutches of four to five eggs.
Eggs are white, covered with rather large cinnamon-brown spots
chiefly around the larger end. Nests are difficult to find, since
females build cryptic, domed nests of dead leaves and grasses on
the forest floor and are hesitant to flush. See page 20 for more
photos of the almost invisible Ovenbird nest.
Diet
Ovenbirds feed primarily by walking slowly and continuously
gathering invertebrates from the surface of the litter on the forest
floor. They eat earthworms, insects, slugs, snails, and spiders,
with beetles (adults and larvae), ants, and caterpillars being
dominant food items.
Adult Ovenbird — Photo: Marie Read
Identification (11–14 centimetres)
A small, inconspicuous warbler of the forest floor, the Ovenbird
is one of the most characteristic birds of the eastern forests.
Though its loud song, teacher, teacher, teacher, rings through the
summer forest, the bird itself is hard to see. Sexes are identical
and have olive brown backs, white undersides with bold, dark
streaked spots, white eye-rings, and orange crowns bordered by
black stripes.
Conservation Status
The Ovenbird breeds in mature deciduous and mixed forests
across northern and northeastern North America. It is widely
distributed across Ontario, occurring in every treed region of the
province. However, declines have been detected in the Carolinian
region, where fragmentation of large forest blocks continues to
result in habitat loss and degradation. In much of the extreme
southwest, it is virtually absent because woodlots are very small
and fragmented. Populations have remained stable in the southern
Shield despite its sensitivity to logging and loss of mature forest
habitat, because forest cover there remains high. Overall, the
Ovenbird is an area-sensitive, mature forest specialist, and though
it presently remains one of the most abundant forest bird in many
regions, its sensitivity to widespread disturbance suggests
continued declines in the future.
Breeding Biology
The Ovenbird is both a ground forager and nester, selecting
breeding areas often deep in the forest where there is a closed
canopy, open understorey, and deep leaf litter. Although the
species’ density tends to be higher where deciduous trees
dominate, it has a broad tolerance for different tree communities.
Management Guidelines
Reduction of large, contiguous tracts of forest to smaller, isolated
fragments has interfered with breeding and resulted in local
population declines. As such, efforts should be made to conserve
or expand large, mature forest tracts. Though densities often
decline after forest harvesting, populations can rebound within as
little as 30 years following partial cuts but may take much longer
(60 to 100+ years) following clear cutting. Large interior forest
areas that are left uncut will provide
the best breeding habitat for
Ovenbirds. Under the selection
system, leaving large areas for 25 to
40 years between cuts will help
maintain their habitat.
How to Find
You can spot an Ovenbird by
looking for singing males midcanopy
on an exposed branch of a
deciduous tree. Listen for their loud
resounding “teacher teacher teacher”
song. Often, males will sing in
response to a neighbouring male.
Did you know?
Photo: Lucas Foerster
• The Ovenbird gets its name from the Dutch oven type nests
they build, with a unique, camouflaged covered top and a
side entrance.
• Female Ovenbirds perform a crippled-wing display to
distract predators when flushed from the nest. They look
like a scurrying mouse.
• Male Ovenbirds that sing continuously, particularly late in
June and July, are still hunting for a mate.
Bird Species Accounts 127