Setophaga coronata

Phylogenetic analyses of sequences of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA (Lovette et al. 2010) indicate that all species formerly placed in Dendroica, one species formerly placed in Wilsonia (citrina), and two species formerly placed in Parula (americana and pitiayumi) form a clade with the single species traditionally placed in Setophaga (ruticilla). The generic name Setophaga has priority for this clade (AOU 2011).

Composed of two groups, formerly regarded as distinct species: auduboni (Audubon's Warbler) and coronata (Myrtle Warbler) (AOU 1998). D. coronata now considered to consist of D. c. auduboni, D. c. coronata, D. c. nigrifrons, and D. c. goldmani. See also DeBenedictis (1982) for taxonomic comments.

CORONATA breeds from Alaska and Mackenzie south through Canada to north-central and northeastern U.S.; winters from northwestern, central, and east-central U.S., eastern Mexico (including Yucatan Peninsula), through Central America to Panama (and accidently into northern Colombia and Venezuela), and in Caribbean from the Bahamas through the Greater Antilles, rarely as far east as Virgin Islands. AUDUBONI breeds from British Columbia south through the western U.S. into Baja California; winters from southwestern Canada south throughout western Mexico through Guatemala and uncommonly to Honduras. NIGRIFRONS breeds (and is probably a permanent resident) from northwestern Chihuahua south through the Sierra Madre Occidental through Durango and probably to Jalisco. GOLDMANI is a permanent resident of the highlands of western Guatemala and adjacent Chiapas.