Kentucky Warbler
Encyclopedia
The Kentucky Warbler, Oporornis formosus, is a small species of New World warbler
. The Kentucky Warbler, like all members of the genus Oporornis
, is a sluggish and heavy warbler with a short tail, preferring to spend most of its time on or near the ground, except when singing.
Adult Kentucky Warblers are about 13 cm (5 to 6 inches) long. They are mostly an olive-green in color on their back and nape, and a brilliant yellow below from their throat to their belly. They have a small tinge of black on their crown, and a large black mask with a yellow pattern that runs from the beak and encircles the eyes, resembling a pair of spectacles. Female Kentucky warblers have slightly less black on the sides of their head, and immature birds may have almost no black at all.
The Kentucky Warbler is a very common bird with a large range, frequenting moist deciduous
forests. It is migratory
, spending summer in the central and eastern United States
, often ranging as far north as Wisconsin
to Pennsylvania
. Come fall and winter the Kentucky warbler will migrate back to the Yucatán Peninsula
and the many islands of the Caribbean
, flying non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico
.
Kentucky Warblers nest on the ground hidden at the base of a shrub or in a patch of weeds in an area of ample vegetation. The female will lay between 3 to 6 eggs, which are white or cream-colored and specked with brown. Incubation is done by the female only, and lasts for about 12 days. The young Kentucky Warblers usually leave the nest about 10 days after hatching.
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....
. The Kentucky Warbler, like all members of the genus Oporornis
Oporornis
Oporornis is a small genus of New World warblers which breed in North America. They are migratory, wintering south of their breeding ranges in Central or South America.The four species are:* Kentucky Warbler, Oporornis formosus...
, is a sluggish and heavy warbler with a short tail, preferring to spend most of its time on or near the ground, except when singing.
Adult Kentucky Warblers are about 13 cm (5 to 6 inches) long. They are mostly an olive-green in color on their back and nape, and a brilliant yellow below from their throat to their belly. They have a small tinge of black on their crown, and a large black mask with a yellow pattern that runs from the beak and encircles the eyes, resembling a pair of spectacles. Female Kentucky warblers have slightly less black on the sides of their head, and immature birds may have almost no black at all.
The Kentucky Warbler is a very common bird with a large range, frequenting moist deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forests. It is 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...
, spending summer in the central and eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, often ranging as far north as Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Come fall and winter the Kentucky warbler will migrate back to the Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
and the many islands of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, flying non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.
Kentucky Warblers nest on the ground hidden at the base of a shrub or in a patch of weeds in an area of ample vegetation. The female will lay between 3 to 6 eggs, which are white or cream-colored and specked with brown. Incubation is done by the female only, and lasts for about 12 days. The young Kentucky Warblers usually leave the nest about 10 days after hatching.
External links
- Kentucky Warbler -Oporornis formosus - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Kentucky Warbler Information - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Kentucky Warbler Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Kentucky Warbler Bird Sound