Not Olive and Not a Warbler

Olive warbler at Cofre de Perote (photo from Wikimedia) 10 October 2026 On the WINGS birding trip to Veracruz, Mexico I was happy to see this colorful Life Bird, the olive warbler (Peucedramus taeniatus). I had missed seeing him while birding in southeastern Arizona, so I studied his description and habitat preferences before leaving for Mexico. I learned that his common English name is totally misleading. He’s not olive and he’s not a warbler. Not Olive Neither male nor female is olive colored. The word “olive” is never used to describe the male at Birds of the World (punctuation edited): “Adult male distinctive in appearance, primarily gray. Head, neck, and breast orange tawny. Lores and auriculars black, forming prominent mask. Flight-feathers black, with prominent white wing-bars, tail spots, and white patch at base of primaries. Tail prominently notched. Southern populations smaller and brighter in color.” “Olive” is never used for the female either. Birds of the World: “Adult…