6.0 inches long. The Ovenbird is a rather large warbler with unstreaked olive upperparts and wings. The underparts and are white with dense black spots. The undertail coverts are white and the undertail is dark without white spots. There is a central prominent orange crown stripe with a black border. The olive face has a bold white eye ring. The Ovenbird is similar to both the Louisiana Waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla) and the Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis), but the Waterthrushes do not have a white eye ring. The waterthrushes also have a white to buff eyebrow as compared to the plain face of the Ovenbird. Also Waterthrushes bob their tails when they walk.
The Ovenbird is a common breeder in the Forest that arrives in late April and leaves by late September.
The nickname for the Ovenbird is “Golden-crowned Thrush”. The Ovenbird often walks along the forest floor with a high stepping gait while bobbing its head. It may carry it tail high but it does not bob its tail. This bird is a ground nester building a domed nest of leaves and grass. The song is a loud and sharp often repeated “teacher, teacher, teacher” that increases in volume.
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