Setophaga

Setophaga is a genus of birds of the New World warbler family Parulidae. It contains at least 33 species. The males in breeding plumage are often highly colorful. The Setophaga warblers are an example of adaptive radiation with the various species using different feeding techniques and often feeding in different parts of the same tree. Most Setophaga species are long-range migrants, wintering in or near the New World tropics and seasonally migrating to breed in North America. In contrast, two Setophaga species, the palm warbler and yellow-rumped warbler, have winter ranges that extend along the Atlantic coast of North America as far north as Nova Scotia. The genus name Setophaga is from Ancient Greek ses, 'moth', and phagos, 'eating'. Genetic research has suggested that Dendroica and Setophaga should be merged. This change has been accepted by both the North American and South American Classification Committees of the American Ornithological Society and the IOC World Bird List. Most members of the genus as currently recognized were traditionally classified as the genus Dendroica, 29 species at the time of the merger. The only member of the genus Setophaga prior to the merger was the American redstart. As the name Setophaga (published in 1827) takes priority over Dendroica (published in 1842), those who accept the merger transfer all the species below to Setophaga.