Rufous-capped Warbler

Basileuterus rufifrons

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyParulidae (New World Warblers)
GenusBasileuterus
SpeciesBasileuterus rufifrons (Rufous-capped Warbler)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Tortuguero National Park

1 Verified sightings at Tortuguero National Park From 2019 to 2026

6,948 Verified sightings across all 41 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Rufous-capped Warbler

The rufous-capped warbler (Basileuterus rufifrons) is a species of bird in the family Parulidae, the New World warblers. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. It also occurs as a casual visitor to the U. S. states of Arizona and Texas.

The rufous-capped warbler has a complicated taxonomic history. It was formally described in 1838 with the binomial Setophaga rufifrons. For a time in the nineteenth century it was placed in a new genus Idiotes. In 1902 Robert Ridgway assigned it to its present genus Basileuterus. By the end of the twentieth century it had been assigned eight subspecies, several of which had been treated by various authors as full species.

The further taxonomy of the rufous-capped warbler remains unsettled. In 2021 the American Ornithological Society, the IOC, and the Clements taxonomy split three of the subspecies as the chestnut-capped warbler (M. delatrii). They retained these five subspecies as the rufous-capped warbler:

B. r. caudatus Nelson, 1899 B. r. dugesi Ridgway, 1892 B. r. jouyi Ridgway, 1892 B. r. rufifrons (Swainson, 1838) B. r. salvini Cherrie, 1891 The South American Classification Committee implemented the split... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tortuguero National Park

Setophaga pensylvanica

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Setophaga petechia

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Protonotaria citrea

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Parkesia noveboracensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Geothlypis semiflava

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Setophaga castanea

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Setophaga americana

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Setophaga aestiva

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Leiothlypis peregrina

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Setophaga auduboni

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Setophaga virens

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Setophaga coronata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
2	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
3	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
4	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~50%
5	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
6	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
7	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
8	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
9	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
10	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
11	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
12	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
13	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
14	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
15	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
16	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
17	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
18	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
19	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
20	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
21	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
22	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	<5%
23	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
24	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
25	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
26	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
27	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
29	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
30	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
31	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
32	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
33	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
34	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
35	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
36	Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
37	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
38	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
39	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
40	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
41	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data

← Back to Tortuguero National Park

Rufous-capped Warbler

About the Rufous-capped Warbler

Recent sightings of Rufous-capped Warbler in Tortuguero National Park

Closest Relatives at Tortuguero National Park

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Northern Waterthrush

Olive-crowned Yellowthroat

Bay-breasted Warbler

Northern Parula

Northern Yellow Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Audubon's Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found