Difference between revisions of "Warblers"

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(Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher)
 
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=== Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher ===
 
=== Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher ===
(Polioptila caerulea)
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(''Polioptila caerulea'')<br>
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<b>COMMON:</b> Breeds in the region, found in favored habitat at a number of local birding sites. <br>Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are tiny, slim songbirds with long legs; a long tail; and a thin, straight bill.
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Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are pale blue-gray birds with grayish-white underparts and a mostly black tail with white edges. The underside of the tail is mostly white. The face is highlighted by a thin but obvious white eyering. In summer, male Blue-gray Gnatcatchers sport a black ‘V’ on their foreheads extending above their eyes.
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The energetic Blue-gray Gnatchatcher rarely slows down, fluttering after small insects among shrubs and trees with its tail cocked at a jaunty angle. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers often take food from spiderwebs and also abscond with strands of webbing for their tiny nests, which are shaped like tree knots.
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In the East, gnatcatchers breed in deciduous forests and near edges, often in moister areas. In the West, look for them in shorter woodlands and shrublands including pinyon-juniper and oak woodlands.
  
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[[File:BGGC1.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:BGGC2.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) - © Ken Czworka]]
  
{{Birds}}
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== Wood Warblers ==
and
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=== Blue-Winged Warbler ===
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(''Vermivora pinus'')<br>
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<B>COMMON:</B> Breeds in the Western New York Region and have been located in several local birding sites.<br> Blue-winged Warblers are small, well-proportioned birds with a sharp and pointed bill. Compared to other warblers, the rather heavy black bill and eyeline give them a pointy-headed look.
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Adult males are bright yellow below, yellow-green above, and have two obvious wingbars on blue-gray wings, and a black eyeline. Adult females are paler with a less defined eyeline. The black bill and eyeline contribute to an almost angry-looking expression. From below look for the white undertail coverts on both sexes.
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These warblers dangle from shrubs much like a chickadee, often foraging upside down and picking insects from dead leaves. Males sing from exposed perches during the breeding season. They join mixed-species flocks during migration and on the wintering grounds, but perhaps less frequently than Golden-winged Warblers.
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Blue-winged Warbler is a shrubland specialist, and are found in brushy fields, thickets, and forest edges.
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[[File:Bluewing1.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Yellow Warbler (Vermivora pinus) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:Bluewing2.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Yellow Warbler (Vermivora pinus) - © Ken Czworka]]
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<br>
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=== Golden-Winged Warbler ===
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(''Vermivora chrysoptera'')<br>
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<B>RARE:</B> Tough to find bird, there may be some local breeding in WNY. <br>
 +
A boldly marked warbler with a color pattern all its own, Golden-winged Warblers are slim, silvery gray birds with golden flashes on the head and wings. They breed in wet, shrubby tangles of the Upper Midwest and Appalachians, and spend winters in open woodlands and shade-coffee plantations. They have suffered severe population declines in the last half-century. They often hybridize with Blue-winged Warblers, producing a range of distinctive forms.
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[[File:Goldenwing.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Golden-Winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) - © Timothy McIntyre]]
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<br>
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 +
=== Tennessee Warbler ===
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(''Vermivora peregrina'')<br>
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<B>COMMON:</B> Migrates through Western New York during the spring and fall.<br> Commonly found in mixed flocks of feeding warblers during the spring and fall migrations. Small and stocky for a warbler, with a short tail and a thin and sharply pointed bill (markedly smaller and more pointed than a Red-eyed Vireo's bill).
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Breeding males have a gray head with a white line over the eye, contrasting with a green back and no wingbars. The underparts are whitish all the way through the undertail coverts. Females and nonbreeding males are more greenish, with less contrast between head and back. Occasionally very olive-yellow all over except for white undertail coverts.
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Tennessee Warblers forage on slender branches high in the forest canopy, feeding primarily on insects. On their breeding grounds a primary food is a small caterpillar called spruce budworm.
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Tennessee Warblers breed in coniferous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forest across Canada. On migration they can occur in most types of forests and woodlands. Winters in second-growth tropical forests.
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[[File:Tennessee1.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Tennessee Warbler (Vermivora peregrina) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:Tennessee2.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Tennessee Warbler (Vermivora peregrina) - © Ken Czworka]]
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<br>
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=== Orange-Crowned Warbler ===
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(Vermivora celata)     
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=== Nashville Warbler ===
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(''Vermivora ruficapilla'')<br>
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<B>COMMON</B> Common during migration in Spring and fall.<br>
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A small songbird, compact with a round head, plump body and shortish tail. The bill is fine, straight, and pointed.
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A mostly yellow warbler with a green back, gray head, and white eye-ring. The lower belly is white, sandwiched in between yellow breast and yellow undertail coverts; this is a distinctive pattern helpful for identifying the species from below. Females and young birds are similar but the colors are more washed out and pale.
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Forages for insects at middle levels in outer edges of trees, among twigs and foliage. Often joins other species in mixed foraging flocks. The western populations often flick or wag their tails; this is less common in eastern birds.
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Nashville Warbler most commonly use shrubby tangles and regrowing clearings within broken forests. In the East, this often means mixed forest and spruce-cedar bogs. In the West, look for them in brushy oak and fir forests
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[[File:Nashville1.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:Nashville2.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla) - © Ken Czworka]]
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<br>
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=== Yellow Warbler ===
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(''Dendroica petechia'')<br>
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<B>COMMON:</B> Migrates. Most common warbler in Western New York. Found throughout Western New York During Spring, Summer and early Fall.<br>
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Yellow Warblers are small, evenly proportioned songbirds with medium-length tails and rounded heads. For a warbler, the straight, thin bill is relatively large.
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Yellow Warblers are uniformly yellow birds. Males are a bright, egg-yolk yellow with reddish streaks on the underparts. Both sexes flash yellow patches in the tail. The face is unmarked, accentuating the large black eye.
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Look for Yellow Warblers near the tops of tall shrubs and small trees. They forage restlessly, with quick hops along small branches and twigs to glean caterpillars and other insects. Males sing their sweet, whistled songs from high perches.
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Yellow Warblers breed in shrubby thickets and woods, particularly along watercourses and in wetlands. Common trees include willows, alders, and cottonwoods across North America and up to about 9,000 feet in the West. In winter they mainly occur in mangrove forests of Central and South America.
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[[File:Yellow1.jpg|380px|thumb|left|Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:Yellow2.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) - © Ken Czworka]]
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<br>
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=== Chestnut-Sided Warbler ===
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(''Dendroica pensylvanica'')<br>
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<B>
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COMMON:</B> Migrates. Common in the Spring and fall, Uncommon but present during the summer. Some breed in Western New York<br>
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A slim warbler with a relatively long tail that it often holds cocked, or raised above the body line, which makes the tail appear longer still.
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Breeding adults are crisp gray-and-white birds with a yellow crown, black face markings, and rich chestnut flanks. Males are more richly marked than females. In nonbreeding plumage, adults and immatures are bright lime-green above with a neat white eyering, two wingbars, and pale gray to white underparts.
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Chestnut-sided Warblers flit and hop along slender branches, carefully inspecting the undersides of deciduous leaves. Look for them in saplings and shrubs more often than in tall trees. They often raise the tail and droop the wings as they move through the branches.
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They nest in young deciduous regrowth and other thickets, where small trees and shrubs have been regenerating for a few years after a disturbance such as logging or wind storm. They are also found in stunted highland oak forest at the southern end of their breeding range. Migrating and wintering birds are found in a great variety of brushy, successional, and mature forested environments.
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[[File:Chestnut1.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Chestnut-Sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:Chestnut2.jpg|350px|thumb|center|Chestnut-Sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica) - © Ken Czworka]]
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<br>
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=== Magnolia Warbler ===
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(''Dendroica magnolia'')<br>
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<B>COMMON:</B> Migrates. Seen mostly during Spring and Fall migration, however, a few do breed in Western New York.<br>
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A small songbird with a small bill and a long, narrow tail.
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Adult males have a black mask and distinctive black streaking that radiates from a black neck band creating a necklaced look. Males are gray and black above with a wide white wing patch, and a yellow throat and belly. Females and immatures have a gray head, a white eyering, a faint gray band across the neck, and 2 narrow white wingbars. From below on both sexes note the unique tail pattern; white at the base and black at the tip.
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Often forages low in the understory, picking insects from the undersides of leaves. During migration also forages higher in the canopy with other warblers. Sometimes flashes its tail, exposing white spots, similar to the behavior of an American Redstart.
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Breeds in small conifers, especially young spruces, in purely coniferous stands or mixed forests. During migration found in dense vegetation often at forest edges.
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[[File:Magnolia1.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Magnolia Warbler (Dendroica magnolia) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:Magnolia2.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Magnolia Warbler (Dendroica magnolia) - © Ken Czworka]]
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<br>
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=== Cape May Warbler ===
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(''Dendroica tigrina'')<br>
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<B>COMMON:</B> Migrates. Commonly seen during the spring and fall migrations.<br>
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A delicate, short-tailed warbler with a slender and distinctively decurved bill, unusual among warblers.
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Adult males are rich yellowish olive above, with rufous cheeks (auriculars) framed in yellow and dense rufous “tiger stripes” on the breast (present in all plumages, giving the species its scientific name, tigrina). The underparts are yellow, and the wing has a large white patch. Females and immatures are duller, lacking vivid yellow but with a yellowish green rump.
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Cape May Warblers hunt insects among branches, sip nectar from flowers, or eat fruit. They take most food by probing and picking but also catch insects in midair or hover to pluck items from leaves and branches.
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Boreal forest (spruce, balsam fir) in breeding season; a wide variety of forested and shrubby habitats during migration and in winter.
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[[File:Capemay1.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:Capemay2.jpg|350px|thumb|center|Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina) - © Ken Czworka]]
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<br>
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=== Black-Throated Green Warbler ===
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(''Dendroica virens'')<br>
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<B>COMMON:</B> Migrates. Mostly seen during Spring and Fall migration in Western New York. Possibly breeds locally<br>
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The Black-throated Green Warbler is a medium-sized warbler similar in size and shape to many others in the Setophaga genus. Plump and seemingly large-headed, with a thick, straight bill and shortish tail.
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These are olive-green birds, white below, with yellow faces and black on the front. Adult males are stunning, with a bright yellow face and extensive black on the throat turning to black streaks on the flanks. Two bright white wingbars. Females and young birds are patterned like males, but duller and lacking the extensive black on the throat.
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Active and agile, Black-throated Green Warblers primarily forage for small insects hiding in the bases of the leaves of tall trees. Breeding males sing on exposed perches where their bright head is conspicuous. In fall migration and winter, they often join mixed-species flocks with resident birds.
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Black-throated Green Warblers use coniferous and mixed forests in the north, deciduous forests in the south, and coastal cypress swamps in the case of the unique “Wayne’s” subspecies. Migrating birds will frequent any woody habitat, even coming down from the canopy to forage on fruiting shrubs. Wintering birds are typically found in the canopies of tall mature forests in Middle America, but sometimes occur in secondary growth as well.
  
== Wood Warblers ==
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[[File:BTGreen1.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Black-Throated Green Warbler (Dendroica virens) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:BTGreen2.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Black-Throated Green Warbler (Dendroica virens) - © Ken Czworka]]
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<br>
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=== Yellow-rumped Warbler ===
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(''Dendroica coronata'')  <br>
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<B>COMMON:</B>Migrates, although a number over winter. Soecond most common warbler in Western New York. Seen every season, most common during Spring and fall migrations.<br>
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Yellow-rumped Warblers are fairly large, full-bodied warblers with a large head, sturdy bill, and long, narrow tail.
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In summer, both sexes are a smart gray with flashes of white in the wings and yellow on the face, sides, and rump. Males are very strikingly shaded; females are duller and may show some brown. Winter birds are paler brown, with bright yellow rump and usually some yellow on the sides.
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Yellow-rumped Warblers typically forage in the outer tree canopies at middle heights. They're active, and you'll often see them sally out to catch insects in midair, sometimes on long flights. In winter they spend lots of time eating berries from shrubs, and they often travel in large flocks.
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In summer, Yellow-rumped Warblers are birds of open coniferous forests and edges, and to a lesser extent deciduous forests. In fall and winter they move to open woods and shrubby habitats, including coastal vegetation, parks, and residential areas.
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[[File:Butter1.jpg|475px|thumb|left|Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:Butter2.jpg|300px|thumb|center|Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) - © Ken Czworka]]
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<br>
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=== Black-Throated Blue Warbler ===
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(''Dendroica caerulescens'')<br>
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<B>COMMON:</B> Migrates. Can be easily found during spring migration, a bit less in the fall. Possibly breeds in some areas of Western New York.<br>
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Black-throated Blue Warblers are small, well-proportioned birds with sharp, pointed bills. Compared with other warblers, they are fairly large and plump.
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Males are midnight blue above and white below with black on the throat, face, and sides. Females are plain grayish olive overall, although some individuals have blue tints on the wings and tail. Both sexes have a characteristic small white square on the wing, sometimes called a “pocket handkerchief.”
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These birds forage in the understory and lower canopy of forests, where they pick insects from the undersides of leaves. Males sing to defend their breeding territories and aggressively chase away rival males.
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Black-throated Blue Warblers are found in larger tracts of hardwood and mixed hardwood-evergreen forests with a shrubby understory.
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[[File:BTBlue1.jpg|350px|thumb|left|Black-Throated Blue Warbler (Dendroica caerulescens) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:BTBlue2.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Black-Throated Blue Warbler (Dendroica caerulescens) - © Ken Czworka]]
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<br>
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=== Blackburnian Warbler ===
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(''Dendroica fusca'')<br>
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<B>COMMON:</B> Migrates. Seen primarily during spring and fall migrations.<br>
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A typical medium-sized warbler with a short, thin, pointed bill, trim body, and medium-length tail. The overall shape is similar to the widespread Yellow Warbler.
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The breeding male, with vivid orange in face and throat, is unmistakable; females and immatures show at least a hint of this coloration, but more important is the unique triangular facial pattern of black (or gray), also seen in all plumages.
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Blackburnian Warblers pick insects and their larvae from high in the tops of both coniferous and deciduous trees, where they often search entire branches from base to tip by hopping and creeping along them, looking up at the underside of leaves and inside clumps of dead leaves when present. They also pluck insects from the underside of leaves by hovering (known as “hover-gleaning”) and occasionally catch insects in flight.
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Breeds in coniferous forest (with spruce, white pine, or balsam fir) and mixed coniferous-deciduous forest, often with hemlock trees. Migrants are attracted to similar habitats (cemeteries with tall conifers in particular) but can appear in almost any environment with trees. Wintering birds in Central and South America utilize many montane habitats with trees.
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[[File:Blackburnian3.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Blackburnian Warbler (Dendroica fusca) - © Ken Czworka]]
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[[File:Blackburnian2.jpg|350px|thumb|center|Blackburnian Warbler (Dendroica fusca) - © Ken Czworka]]
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<br>
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=== Pine Warbler ===
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(Dendroica pinus)   
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=== Palm Warbler ===
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(Dendroica palmarum)     
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=== Bay-Breasted Warbler ===
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(Dendroica castanea)   
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=== Blackpoll Warbler ===
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(Dendroica striata)   
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=== Cerulean Warbler ===
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(Dendroica cerulea)     
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=== Black-And-White Warbler ===
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(Mniotilta varia)     
  
Blue-Winged Warbler (Vermivora pinus)   
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=== American Redstart ===
* Golden-Winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera)     
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(Setophaga ruticilla)
* Tennessee Warbler (Vermivora peregrina)     
 
* Orange-Crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata)     
 
* Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla)     
 
* Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia)
 
  
[[File:Warbler2.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) - © David Malak]]
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{| border="0"
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|-
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| [[File:Redstart.jpg|200px|thumb|American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) ♂ - © David Malak]]
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| [[File:Redstartf.jpg|200px|thumb|American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) - © David Malak]]
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|}
 
   
 
   
* Chestnut-Sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica)     
 
* Magnolia Warbler (Dendroica magnolia)     
 
* Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina)     
 
* Black-Throated Green Warbler (Dendroica virens)   
 
* Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) 
 
 
[[File:Warbler_yellow_rump.jpg|200px|thumb|center|Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) ♂ - © David Malak]]
 
  
* Black-Throated Blue Warbler (Dendroica caerulescens)
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=== Prothonotary Warbler ===
* Blackburnian Warbler (Dendroica fusca)
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(Protonataria citrea)   
* Pine Warbler (Dendroica pinus)   
 
* Palm Warbler (Dendroica palmarum)     
 
* Bay-Breasted Warbler (Dendroica castanea)   
 
* Blackpoll Warbler (Dendroica striata)   
 
* Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea)     
 
* Black-And-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia)     
 
* American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 
 
* Prothonotary Warbler (Protonataria citrea)   
 
  
 
[[File:Warbler5.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Prothonotary Warbler (Protonataria citrea) ♂ - © David Malak]]
 
[[File:Warbler5.jpg|400px|thumb|center|Prothonotary Warbler (Protonataria citrea) ♂ - © David Malak]]
 
    
 
    
* Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus)     
 
* Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis)     
 
* Mourning Warbler (Oporornis philadelphia)   
 
* Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)   
 
  
[[File:WaxwWarbler_yellowthroat.jpg|200px|thumb|center|Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) ♂ - © David Malak]]
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=== Ovenbird ===
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(Seiurus aurocapillus)     
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=== Northern Waterthrush ===
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(Seiurus noveboracensis)     
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=== Mourning Warbler ===
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(Oporornis philadelphia)   
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=== Common Yellowthroat ===
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(Geothlypis trichas)   
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[[File:Warbler_yellowthroat.jpg|200px|thumb|center|Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) ♂ - © David Malak]]
 
   
 
   
* Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina)       
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* Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla)       
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=== Hooded Warbler ===
* Canada Warbler (Wilsonia canadensis)     
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(Wilsonia citrina)       
* Yellow-Breasted Chat (Icteria virens)
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=== Wilson's Warbler ===
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(Wilsonia pusilla)       
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=== Canada Warbler ===
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(Wilsonia canadensis)     
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=== Yellow-Breasted Chat ===
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(Icteria virens)

Latest revision as of 18:45, 22 August 2022

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Old World Warblers

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

(Polioptila caerulea)
COMMON: Breeds in the region, found in favored habitat at a number of local birding sites.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are tiny, slim songbirds with long legs; a long tail; and a thin, straight bill. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are pale blue-gray birds with grayish-white underparts and a mostly black tail with white edges. The underside of the tail is mostly white. The face is highlighted by a thin but obvious white eyering. In summer, male Blue-gray Gnatcatchers sport a black ‘V’ on their foreheads extending above their eyes. The energetic Blue-gray Gnatchatcher rarely slows down, fluttering after small insects among shrubs and trees with its tail cocked at a jaunty angle. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers often take food from spiderwebs and also abscond with strands of webbing for their tiny nests, which are shaped like tree knots. In the East, gnatcatchers breed in deciduous forests and near edges, often in moister areas. In the West, look for them in shorter woodlands and shrublands including pinyon-juniper and oak woodlands.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) - © Ken Czworka
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) - © Ken Czworka

Wood Warblers

Blue-Winged Warbler

(Vermivora pinus)
COMMON: Breeds in the Western New York Region and have been located in several local birding sites.
Blue-winged Warblers are small, well-proportioned birds with a sharp and pointed bill. Compared to other warblers, the rather heavy black bill and eyeline give them a pointy-headed look. Adult males are bright yellow below, yellow-green above, and have two obvious wingbars on blue-gray wings, and a black eyeline. Adult females are paler with a less defined eyeline. The black bill and eyeline contribute to an almost angry-looking expression. From below look for the white undertail coverts on both sexes. These warblers dangle from shrubs much like a chickadee, often foraging upside down and picking insects from dead leaves. Males sing from exposed perches during the breeding season. They join mixed-species flocks during migration and on the wintering grounds, but perhaps less frequently than Golden-winged Warblers. Blue-winged Warbler is a shrubland specialist, and are found in brushy fields, thickets, and forest edges.

Yellow Warbler (Vermivora pinus) - © Ken Czworka
Yellow Warbler (Vermivora pinus) - © Ken Czworka


Golden-Winged Warbler

(Vermivora chrysoptera)
RARE: Tough to find bird, there may be some local breeding in WNY.
A boldly marked warbler with a color pattern all its own, Golden-winged Warblers are slim, silvery gray birds with golden flashes on the head and wings. They breed in wet, shrubby tangles of the Upper Midwest and Appalachians, and spend winters in open woodlands and shade-coffee plantations. They have suffered severe population declines in the last half-century. They often hybridize with Blue-winged Warblers, producing a range of distinctive forms.


Golden-Winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) - © Timothy McIntyre


Tennessee Warbler

(Vermivora peregrina)
COMMON: Migrates through Western New York during the spring and fall.
Commonly found in mixed flocks of feeding warblers during the spring and fall migrations. Small and stocky for a warbler, with a short tail and a thin and sharply pointed bill (markedly smaller and more pointed than a Red-eyed Vireo's bill). Breeding males have a gray head with a white line over the eye, contrasting with a green back and no wingbars. The underparts are whitish all the way through the undertail coverts. Females and nonbreeding males are more greenish, with less contrast between head and back. Occasionally very olive-yellow all over except for white undertail coverts. Tennessee Warblers forage on slender branches high in the forest canopy, feeding primarily on insects. On their breeding grounds a primary food is a small caterpillar called spruce budworm. Tennessee Warblers breed in coniferous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forest across Canada. On migration they can occur in most types of forests and woodlands. Winters in second-growth tropical forests.

Tennessee Warbler (Vermivora peregrina) - © Ken Czworka
Tennessee Warbler (Vermivora peregrina) - © Ken Czworka


Orange-Crowned Warbler

(Vermivora celata)

Nashville Warbler

(Vermivora ruficapilla)

COMMON Common during migration in Spring and fall.

A small songbird, compact with a round head, plump body and shortish tail. The bill is fine, straight, and pointed. A mostly yellow warbler with a green back, gray head, and white eye-ring. The lower belly is white, sandwiched in between yellow breast and yellow undertail coverts; this is a distinctive pattern helpful for identifying the species from below. Females and young birds are similar but the colors are more washed out and pale. Forages for insects at middle levels in outer edges of trees, among twigs and foliage. Often joins other species in mixed foraging flocks. The western populations often flick or wag their tails; this is less common in eastern birds. Nashville Warbler most commonly use shrubby tangles and regrowing clearings within broken forests. In the East, this often means mixed forest and spruce-cedar bogs. In the West, look for them in brushy oak and fir forests

Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla) - © Ken Czworka
Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla) - © Ken Czworka


Yellow Warbler

(Dendroica petechia)

COMMON: Migrates. Most common warbler in Western New York. Found throughout Western New York During Spring, Summer and early Fall.
Yellow Warblers are small, evenly proportioned songbirds with medium-length tails and rounded heads. For a warbler, the straight, thin bill is relatively large. Yellow Warblers are uniformly yellow birds. Males are a bright, egg-yolk yellow with reddish streaks on the underparts. Both sexes flash yellow patches in the tail. The face is unmarked, accentuating the large black eye. Look for Yellow Warblers near the tops of tall shrubs and small trees. They forage restlessly, with quick hops along small branches and twigs to glean caterpillars and other insects. Males sing their sweet, whistled songs from high perches. Yellow Warblers breed in shrubby thickets and woods, particularly along watercourses and in wetlands. Common trees include willows, alders, and cottonwoods across North America and up to about 9,000 feet in the West. In winter they mainly occur in mangrove forests of Central and South America.

Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) - © Ken Czworka
Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) - © Ken Czworka


Chestnut-Sided Warbler

(Dendroica pensylvanica)

COMMON: Migrates. Common in the Spring and fall, Uncommon but present during the summer. Some breed in Western New York
A slim warbler with a relatively long tail that it often holds cocked, or raised above the body line, which makes the tail appear longer still. Breeding adults are crisp gray-and-white birds with a yellow crown, black face markings, and rich chestnut flanks. Males are more richly marked than females. In nonbreeding plumage, adults and immatures are bright lime-green above with a neat white eyering, two wingbars, and pale gray to white underparts. Chestnut-sided Warblers flit and hop along slender branches, carefully inspecting the undersides of deciduous leaves. Look for them in saplings and shrubs more often than in tall trees. They often raise the tail and droop the wings as they move through the branches. They nest in young deciduous regrowth and other thickets, where small trees and shrubs have been regenerating for a few years after a disturbance such as logging or wind storm. They are also found in stunted highland oak forest at the southern end of their breeding range. Migrating and wintering birds are found in a great variety of brushy, successional, and mature forested environments.

Chestnut-Sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica) - © Ken Czworka
Chestnut-Sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica) - © Ken Czworka


Magnolia Warbler

(Dendroica magnolia)

COMMON: Migrates. Seen mostly during Spring and Fall migration, however, a few do breed in Western New York.

A small songbird with a small bill and a long, narrow tail. Adult males have a black mask and distinctive black streaking that radiates from a black neck band creating a necklaced look. Males are gray and black above with a wide white wing patch, and a yellow throat and belly. Females and immatures have a gray head, a white eyering, a faint gray band across the neck, and 2 narrow white wingbars. From below on both sexes note the unique tail pattern; white at the base and black at the tip. Often forages low in the understory, picking insects from the undersides of leaves. During migration also forages higher in the canopy with other warblers. Sometimes flashes its tail, exposing white spots, similar to the behavior of an American Redstart. Breeds in small conifers, especially young spruces, in purely coniferous stands or mixed forests. During migration found in dense vegetation often at forest edges.

Magnolia Warbler (Dendroica magnolia) - © Ken Czworka
Magnolia Warbler (Dendroica magnolia) - © Ken Czworka


Cape May Warbler

(Dendroica tigrina)
COMMON: Migrates. Commonly seen during the spring and fall migrations.

A delicate, short-tailed warbler with a slender and distinctively decurved bill, unusual among warblers. Adult males are rich yellowish olive above, with rufous cheeks (auriculars) framed in yellow and dense rufous “tiger stripes” on the breast (present in all plumages, giving the species its scientific name, tigrina). The underparts are yellow, and the wing has a large white patch. Females and immatures are duller, lacking vivid yellow but with a yellowish green rump. Cape May Warblers hunt insects among branches, sip nectar from flowers, or eat fruit. They take most food by probing and picking but also catch insects in midair or hover to pluck items from leaves and branches. Boreal forest (spruce, balsam fir) in breeding season; a wide variety of forested and shrubby habitats during migration and in winter.


Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina) - © Ken Czworka
Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina) - © Ken Czworka


Black-Throated Green Warbler

(Dendroica virens)
COMMON: Migrates. Mostly seen during Spring and Fall migration in Western New York. Possibly breeds locally
The Black-throated Green Warbler is a medium-sized warbler similar in size and shape to many others in the Setophaga genus. Plump and seemingly large-headed, with a thick, straight bill and shortish tail. These are olive-green birds, white below, with yellow faces and black on the front. Adult males are stunning, with a bright yellow face and extensive black on the throat turning to black streaks on the flanks. Two bright white wingbars. Females and young birds are patterned like males, but duller and lacking the extensive black on the throat. Active and agile, Black-throated Green Warblers primarily forage for small insects hiding in the bases of the leaves of tall trees. Breeding males sing on exposed perches where their bright head is conspicuous. In fall migration and winter, they often join mixed-species flocks with resident birds. Black-throated Green Warblers use coniferous and mixed forests in the north, deciduous forests in the south, and coastal cypress swamps in the case of the unique “Wayne’s” subspecies. Migrating birds will frequent any woody habitat, even coming down from the canopy to forage on fruiting shrubs. Wintering birds are typically found in the canopies of tall mature forests in Middle America, but sometimes occur in secondary growth as well.

Black-Throated Green Warbler (Dendroica virens) - © Ken Czworka
Black-Throated Green Warbler (Dendroica virens) - © Ken Czworka


Yellow-rumped Warbler

(Dendroica coronata)
COMMON:Migrates, although a number over winter. Soecond most common warbler in Western New York. Seen every season, most common during Spring and fall migrations.
Yellow-rumped Warblers are fairly large, full-bodied warblers with a large head, sturdy bill, and long, narrow tail. In summer, both sexes are a smart gray with flashes of white in the wings and yellow on the face, sides, and rump. Males are very strikingly shaded; females are duller and may show some brown. Winter birds are paler brown, with bright yellow rump and usually some yellow on the sides. Yellow-rumped Warblers typically forage in the outer tree canopies at middle heights. They're active, and you'll often see them sally out to catch insects in midair, sometimes on long flights. In winter they spend lots of time eating berries from shrubs, and they often travel in large flocks. In summer, Yellow-rumped Warblers are birds of open coniferous forests and edges, and to a lesser extent deciduous forests. In fall and winter they move to open woods and shrubby habitats, including coastal vegetation, parks, and residential areas.

Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) - © Ken Czworka
Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) - © Ken Czworka


Black-Throated Blue Warbler

(Dendroica caerulescens)
COMMON: Migrates. Can be easily found during spring migration, a bit less in the fall. Possibly breeds in some areas of Western New York.
Black-throated Blue Warblers are small, well-proportioned birds with sharp, pointed bills. Compared with other warblers, they are fairly large and plump. Males are midnight blue above and white below with black on the throat, face, and sides. Females are plain grayish olive overall, although some individuals have blue tints on the wings and tail. Both sexes have a characteristic small white square on the wing, sometimes called a “pocket handkerchief.” These birds forage in the understory and lower canopy of forests, where they pick insects from the undersides of leaves. Males sing to defend their breeding territories and aggressively chase away rival males. Black-throated Blue Warblers are found in larger tracts of hardwood and mixed hardwood-evergreen forests with a shrubby understory.

Black-Throated Blue Warbler (Dendroica caerulescens) - © Ken Czworka
Black-Throated Blue Warbler (Dendroica caerulescens) - © Ken Czworka


Blackburnian Warbler

(Dendroica fusca)
COMMON: Migrates. Seen primarily during spring and fall migrations.
A typical medium-sized warbler with a short, thin, pointed bill, trim body, and medium-length tail. The overall shape is similar to the widespread Yellow Warbler. The breeding male, with vivid orange in face and throat, is unmistakable; females and immatures show at least a hint of this coloration, but more important is the unique triangular facial pattern of black (or gray), also seen in all plumages. Blackburnian Warblers pick insects and their larvae from high in the tops of both coniferous and deciduous trees, where they often search entire branches from base to tip by hopping and creeping along them, looking up at the underside of leaves and inside clumps of dead leaves when present. They also pluck insects from the underside of leaves by hovering (known as “hover-gleaning”) and occasionally catch insects in flight. Breeds in coniferous forest (with spruce, white pine, or balsam fir) and mixed coniferous-deciduous forest, often with hemlock trees. Migrants are attracted to similar habitats (cemeteries with tall conifers in particular) but can appear in almost any environment with trees. Wintering birds in Central and South America utilize many montane habitats with trees.

Blackburnian Warbler (Dendroica fusca) - © Ken Czworka
Blackburnian Warbler (Dendroica fusca) - © Ken Czworka


Pine Warbler

(Dendroica pinus)

Palm Warbler

(Dendroica palmarum)

Bay-Breasted Warbler

(Dendroica castanea)

Blackpoll Warbler

(Dendroica striata)

Cerulean Warbler

(Dendroica cerulea)

Black-And-White Warbler

(Mniotilta varia)

American Redstart

(Setophaga ruticilla)

American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) ♂ - © David Malak
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) ♀ - © David Malak


Prothonotary Warbler

(Protonataria citrea)

Prothonotary Warbler (Protonataria citrea) ♂ - © David Malak


Ovenbird

(Seiurus aurocapillus)

Northern Waterthrush

(Seiurus noveboracensis)

Mourning Warbler

(Oporornis philadelphia)

Common Yellowthroat

(Geothlypis trichas)

Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) ♂ - © David Malak


Hooded Warbler

(Wilsonia citrina)

Wilson's Warbler

(Wilsonia pusilla)

Canada Warbler

(Wilsonia canadensis)

Yellow-Breasted Chat

(Icteria virens)