Blackburnian Warbler
Encyclopedia
The Blackburnian Warbler, Dendroica fusca , is a small New World warbler
. They breed in eastern North America
, from southern Canada
, westwards to the southern Canadian Prairies
, the Great Lakes region and New England
, to North Carolina
.
Blackburnian Warblers are migratory
, wintering in southern Central America
and in South America
, and are very rare vagrants to western Europe
.
Blackburnian Warblers are 11.5 cm long and weigh 8.5 g. In summer, male Blackburnian Warblers display dark gray backs and double white wing bars, with yellowish rumps and dark brown crowns. The underparts of these birds are white, and are tinged with yellow and streaked black. The head is strongly patterned in yellow and black, with an orange throat.
Other plumages are washed-out versions of the summer male, and in particular lack the strong head pattern, with weaker yellows and gray, instead of black.
The breeding habitats of these birds are mature coniferous woodlands or mixed woodlands, especially ones containing spruce
and hemlocks
. Blackburnian Warblers lay 4-5 eggs in a cup-shaped nest which is usually placed 2–38 m (5–80 feet) above the ground, on a horizontal branch.
These birds are insectivorous, but will include berries in their diets in wintertime. They usually search for insects in treetops.
Blackburnian Warblers' songs are a simple series of high swi notes, which often ascend in pitch. Their call is a high sip.
These birds were named after Anna Blackburne
, who was an English
botanist.
New World warbler
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
. They breed in eastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, from southern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, westwards to the southern Canadian Prairies
Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
, the Great Lakes region and New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
Blackburnian Warblers are migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, wintering in southern Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and are very rare vagrants to western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Blackburnian Warblers are 11.5 cm long and weigh 8.5 g. In summer, male Blackburnian Warblers display dark gray backs and double white wing bars, with yellowish rumps and dark brown crowns. The underparts of these birds are white, and are tinged with yellow and streaked black. The head is strongly patterned in yellow and black, with an orange throat.
Other plumages are washed-out versions of the summer male, and in particular lack the strong head pattern, with weaker yellows and gray, instead of black.
The breeding habitats of these birds are mature coniferous woodlands or mixed woodlands, especially ones containing spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
and hemlocks
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
. Blackburnian Warblers lay 4-5 eggs in a cup-shaped nest which is usually placed 2–38 m (5–80 feet) above the ground, on a horizontal branch.
These birds are insectivorous, but will include berries in their diets in wintertime. They usually search for insects in treetops.
Blackburnian Warblers' songs are a simple series of high swi notes, which often ascend in pitch. Their call is a high sip.
These birds were named after Anna Blackburne
Anna Blackburne
Anna Blackburne was an English naturalist.Anna Blackburne was born at Orford Hall, Orford, Warrington, the daughter of Jane and John Blackburne. Her father was a wealthy Cheshire salt dealer, who studied natural history and had famous greenhouses admired by Thomas Pennant...
, who was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
botanist.
External links
- Blackburnian Warbler videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- The Nature Conservancy works to protect habitat for the Blackburnian warber and many other migratory bird species
- Blackburnian Warbler Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Blackburnian Warbler Information - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Blackburnian Warbler - Dendroica fusca - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Stamps (for CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, GrenadaGrenadaGrenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
) with RangeMap - Blackburnian Warbler photo gallery VIREO Photo-High Res--(Close-up)