Perching Birds

Blackburnian Warbler Dendroica fusca

Description

5" (13 cm). Breeding male black and white with vivid orange throat, crown patch, and eyebrow; and large white wing patch; female similar, but has yellow throat. Back of both sexes boldly striped. Immature male similar to female.

Voice

Very thin and wiry, increasing in speed and rising to the limit of hearing, sleet-sleet-sleet-sleet-sleetee-sleeeee. Also tiddly-tiddly-tiddly-tiddly at same speed and pitch.

Habitat Most numerous in mixed forests of hemlock, spruce, and various hardwoods, usually ranging high in trees. Nesting 4 brown-spotted white eggs in a twig nest lined with lichens, mosses, and hair, usually placed high in a large conifer.

Range

Breeds from Saskatchewan east to Nova Scotia, south to Great Lakes, southern New England, and in mountains to northern Georgia. Winters in tropics.

Discussion

Blackburnian Warblers are usually found high in trees, even during migration, and are not readily noticed in the dense foliage unless their high-pitched song announces their presence. At times they may be detected at the ends of branches, picking among leaves for bugs or caterpillars.