Seiurus aurocapilla, the Ovenbird (L 5.75 in.) gets its name from the fact that its nests look like little dome-shaped ovens on the forest floor. Palm Beach County residents know it best as the skulking leafkicker with the loud voice. This stocky warbler looks more like a miniature thrush with an orange mohawk than its more glamorous cousins in the Dendroica genus, the high-flying Cerulean Warbler, or the smartly colored Black-throated Blue.

At Spanish River Park, if you don’t notice the Ovenbird’s rustling in the leaves at the side of the footpaths, you’re sure to notice the loud vocalizations of this spot-breasted, stripe-headed loudmouth: birders who leave Florida to visit the bird on its nesting grounds will hear a crescendoing series of 8-10 two-syllable TEACH-er, TEACHer calls. In our neighborhood a loud, distinctive “Chupp” is the most often heard sound. The head often appears to bob while walking. The tail is held up, sometimes quickly cocked up, then brought back to a horizontal. While you’re checking the leafy undergrowth for the common Ovenbird, keep an eye peeled for the elusive Swainson’s Warbler—now that’s a good bird.