Rufous-capped Warbler (Basileuterus rufifrons), Florida Canyon above Florida Work Center, Pima County

A pair of Rufous-capped Warblers was discovered by Troy Corman and  Ramsay Koury in Florida Canyon upstream of the Florida Work Center in the Santa Rita Mountains  on 19 December 2008 and photographed by Troy Corman the same day.  Three birds were seen on 27 December 2008 and additional photographs were taken by Laurens Halsey on 28 December 2008. 

This is the first photo documented report for this species in Pima County, although one was reported in Pima Canyon in 2003. There are few records for this species in the past several years in AZ (and US).

Typically a casual visitor to SE AZ, but several nesting records with some individuals and pairs remaining in the same location for months or even years (e.g., French Joe Canyon).

When seen well, identification is pretty straight forward with short black bill, bright yellow throat and breast, reddish crown and auricular region separated by broad white supercilium, black lore and eye-line, and white malar region.

28 December 2008, photos by Laurens Halsey

19 December 2008, photo by Troy Corman