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Home/Species/ Louisiana Waterthrush

Parkesia motacilla

(Vieillot, 1809)

Louisiana Waterthrush

G5Secure Found in 39 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105622
Element CodeABPBX10030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyParulidae
GenusParkesia
Synonyms
Seiurus motacilla(Vieillot, 1809)
Other Common Names
Chipe Arroyero (ES) Louisiana waterthrush (EN) Paruline hochequeue (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly (AOU 1983, 1998) placed in the genus Seiurus; transferred to Parkesia by AOU (2010).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-09
Change Date1996-12-03
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: eastern Nebraska, southern Great Lakes region (including southern Ontario and perhaps rarely in southwestern Quebec), and New England south to eastern Texas, Gulf states, northern Florida, and South Carolina (Robinson 1995, AOU 1998). NON-BREEDING: southern Sonora, southern Nuevo Leon, and southwestern Tamaulipas south through Mexico (generally absent from Yucatan peninsula) and Central America into northern and western Colombia and northwestern Venezuela; also from southern Florida and Bahamas throughout West Indies (fairly common in Puerto Rico, uncommon in Virgin Islands) (Robinson 1995, AOU 1998)
Threat Impact Comments
Potential threats include forest fragmentation and activities that cause reductions in forest canopy cover or negatively impact aquatic insect communities. In Western Pennsylvania and throughout the Appalachian region, streams are affected by acid precipitation and acid discharge from countless mines (Mulvihill et al. 1997). The low pH reduces food availability.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

BREEDING: Moist forest, woodland, and ravines along streams; mature deciduous and mixed floodplain and swamp forests. Prefers areas with moderate to sparse undergrowth (Prosser and Brooks 1998) near rapid-flowing water of hill and mountain streams. Ground dweller. Nests on the ground along stream banks, hidden in the underbrush or among the roots of fallen trees, in crevices or raised sites in tree roots, or in rock walls of ravines over water (Harrison 1978, Bushman and Therres 1988).

NON-BREEDING: In migration and winter also in riparian woodland, scrub and thickets, generally near running water; avoids extensive openings and still water (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Ecology

Maintains foraging territory in winter (Stiles and Skutch 1989, Rappole and Warner 1980). In Mexico, commonly returns to the same winter territory in successive years (Rappole and Warner 1980).

Reproduction

Clutch size is four-six (usually five). Incubation by female lasts 14-16 days; sometimes less than 14 days (Robinson 1995). Young are tended by both parents, leave nest at about ten days, can fly at six days after leaving nest, begin feeding on own at about seven days after leaving nest. One brood per year. Breeds earlier in year than most other warblers (April-June) (Robinson 1995).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodWoodland - Hardwood
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN2B
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS2BYes
QuebecS1BYes
United StatesN5B
ProvinceRankNative
AlabamaS5BYes
OhioS5Yes
ArizonaS1NYes
DelawareS3BYes
KentuckyS5BYes
MinnesotaS3BYes
ArkansasS4BYes
MaineS2BYes
KansasS3BYes
MichiganS2Yes
MississippiS2BYes
New HampshireS4BYes
District of ColumbiaS2B,S3NYes
OklahomaSNRBYes
Rhode IslandS4BYes
TennesseeS4Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
FloridaS2Yes
MissouriSNRBYes
New JerseyS4B,S4NYes
IowaS3B,S4NYes
TexasS3BYes
WisconsinS3BYes
New YorkS5BYes
West VirginiaS3BYes
NebraskaS3Yes
IllinoisS4Yes
MassachusettsS4BYes
North CarolinaS4BYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
South CarolinaS4BYes
LouisianaS3BYes
VermontS4BYes
IndianaS4BYes
PennsylvaniaS4B,S3MYes
ConnecticutS5BYes
MarylandS5BYes
Roadless Areas (39)
Arkansas (3)
AreaForestAcres
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Gee CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,957
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
LaddCleveland National Forest5,300
Idaho (2)
AreaForestAcres
Pioneer MountainsSalmon-Challis National Forest172,460
Pioneer MountainsSawtooth National Forest119,563
New Mexico (1)
AreaForestAcres
West Face Sacramento MountainsLincoln National Forest41,176
North Carolina (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Mackey MountainPisgah National Forest5,934
Slide HollowPisgah National Forest193
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
Puerto Rico (2)
AreaForestAcres
El Toro AreaCaribbean National Forest12,584
Mameyes AreaCaribbean National Forest11,150
Tennessee (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Bald River Gorge AdditionCherokee National Forest1,728
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Slide HollowCherokee National Forest4,057
Upper Bald RiverCherokee National Forest9,202
Virginia (15)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little Wilson Creek Addition BJefferson National Forest1,725
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
North Fork PoundJefferson National Forest4,757
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Patterson MountainJefferson National Forest4,865
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
West Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
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