How to Identify North American Warblers

Warblers are small, active birds about 4 to 5 inches long that may go unnoticed, even by experienced bird watchers, as they often hide in dense foliage and woods. There is a wide variety with more than 50 species of these birds in North America. The males are mostly brightly patterned, but the females may be duller in appearance. Warblers migrate to warm climates in the winter, with some birds migrating to Mexico and others to South America. Their short bills make them excellent insect-catchers.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Binoculars

1. Note the color of the bird. The yellow warbler has a plain, yellow face, which makes its dark eye conspicuous. The parula is blueish-black. The yellow-rumped warbler is brown or blue-black with bright yellow patches on its rump and at the side of its chest. The brown ground warblers are dull-colored.

2. Hear the song. The Tennessee warbler has a loud, sharp, staccato call. The parula's song is a buzz with a snap at the end of the call. The song of the vireo is repetitive.

3. Observe the birds that live in shady undergrowth. The hooded warbler lives in the southeast and their nests are close to the ground.

4. Spot the bird that bobs its tail up and down. This may be the Nashville warbler. It has a gray head and yellow throat.

5. Notice birds in pine trees. The pine warblers have olive-colored backs and yellow chests.

6. See warblers in forests, especially the black and white warbler, which creep up and down trunks of trees.

Tips & Warnings

• Some warblers, such as the cerulean warbler, are declining in numbers. The American Bird Conservancy is working to reverse this trend by identifying and restoring their habitat.
• There are so many different warblers that it can be a challenge to identify all of them.

Resources

• Check out the warbler identification guide at www.birdsource.org.
• The website of the American Bird Conservancy has informaiton about saving the cerulean warbler.