A map outlining Pre-1977 and 1997 to Present Distribution is available. Bold, dark stripes on a buffy-orange head are distinctive. Prefer to nest on well drained, steep sloped hillsides within ravines and large tracts of southern forest. Diet consists mainly of caterpillars and other larvae, weevils, beetles, other bugs, and some spiders. Young fledge 10 days after hatching.
Nests are well hidden on the ground, often under a shrub or sapling.
Breeding in Wisconsin was confirmed in 1984 when M. S. Peterson discovered an active nest in the Baraboo Hills. This species is extremely rare in Wisconsin and was probably just as rare a century ago. Nests are usually located on the ground and are threatened by predation from mice, squirrels, dogs, skunks, fox, raccoons, and snakes. The extremely local distribution of breeding populations and the species' sensitivity to forest fragmentation are causes for rarity and concern. Preservation of large blocks of mature decidous forest in the Baraboo Hills and along the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers will aid conservation efforts.