Louisiana Waterthrush

Parkesia motacilla

The Louisiana Waterthrush is a small bird that loves to live near water. It has a beautiful song and is known for hopping around on the ground looking for tasty bugs and worms.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Louisiana Waterthrush is a medium-sized warbler with a brownish-olive back and clean white underparts, streaked faintly with dark brown. A prominent white stripe above its eye, called a supercilium, contrasts sharply with its dark crown, and it has pinkish legs.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderPasseriformesFamilyParulidaeGenusParkesia

Louisiana Waterthrush

Interesting facts

Each male defends a long stretch of stream, announcing his territory with a powerful, echoing song.

They are very picky about their homes, needing pristine, fast-flowing forest streams to thrive.

This tiny warbler often walks *underwater* to find its favorite food, aquatic insect larvae!

Unlike most warblers, they spend their days walking along the ground near water, not in trees!

Special abilities

Louisiana Waterthrush can wade and walk along streambeds, using its long legs to hunt aquatic insects in rushing water.

Has a distinctive tail-bobbing motion that helps it balance on slippery rocks and blends into the moving water.

Can sing a loud, rapid, and complex song that cuts through the noise of its fast-flowing stream habitat.

Measurements & details

Length: 14-16 cm
Wingspan: 23-25 cm
Weight: 0.017-0.021 kg
Lifespan: 3-8 years
Top Speed: 45 km/h
Clutch Size: 4-6
Incubation: 12-14 days
Migration Distance: 3500 km

Diet & Feeding

They mostly eat insects and larvae found in or near freshwater streams.

Primary Foods

Caddisfly larvae
Mayfly nymphs
Stonefly nymphs
Aquatic beetles
Small crustaceans
Spiders

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

A swift predator that hunts small birds.

eaten by

Common Garter Snake

Thamnophis sirtalis

Preys on eggs and nestlings.

eats

Spotted Mayfly

Stenacron interpunctatum

Feeds on larvae and nymphs in streams.

eaten by

American Mink

Mustela vison

A riparian predator that preys on ground-nesting birds.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Singing

Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.