| Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) |
| Synonyms: Seiurus motacilla |
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Parkesia motacilla (or Seiurus motacilla) breeds in eastern North America from southernmost Ontario to east Texas and central Alabama; it winters in Mexico, Central America (south to Panama), the West Indies, and rarely in Florida. Nesting habitat is usually along clear streams in late-successional deciduous or mixed forest, but also along mud-bottomed streams in lowland swamps. In winter, this species is found along flooded roads or trails in open woodlands and anthropogenic landscapes.
Louisiana Waterthrush has a white supercilium, brown back, buff flanks and undertail, white underparts streaked with dark-brown, and pink legs. It returns to the breeding grounds in late March-early April. Nest is built in a niche or crevice in stream bank, amongst roots of upturned tree, or under a log. Clutch 4-6 eggs; incubation 12-13 days; the young fledge after 10-11 days. P. motacilla leaves breeding grounds by late August. This species feeds primarily on aquatic invertebrates (insects, molluscs, and small crustaceans); terrestrial invertebrates are taken occasionally.
This species was traditionally included in genus Seiurus along with the the Ovenbird (S. aurocapilla). However recent studies of mitochondrial DNA suggested that this species and Northern Waterthrush (S. noveboracensis) are not closely related to the Ovenbird; both waterthrushes were subsequently placed in a separate genus, Parkesia.
Nests of Louisiana Waterthrush are frequently parasitized by Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), and the nestlings in these photos are in fact young cowbirds.
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