Banner Photo by Ann Kramer

Featured Bird

MEET THE NASHVILLE WARBLER (Leiothlypis ruficapilla) – by Jeff Sinker

Many warblers migrating through North America are quite colorful and the Nashville Warbler is no exception. Mostly yellow with an olive-green back, gray head and distinctive white eyering, this small, plump warbler moves carefully along tree branches and through foliage foraging for all kinds of insects, often flicking or wagging its tail. If you find yourself looking up at this bird, noting the clear distinction between the white lower belly and the yellow breast and undertail coverts is helpful in identifying this warbler.  

Migration is the best time to see these warblers as they arrive across the US and southern Canada from their wintering grounds in Mexico and portions of Central America. During migration they can be found in a variety of habitats, but when it gets down to the business of raising the family, they need second-growth habitats created after forests are cleared. Perhaps this preference has helped this species to remain less vulnerable to changes in their habitat than other Neotropical migrants. The female builds the nest on or near the ground, lays 4-6 eggs which are incubated for 11-12 days, and the nestlings fledge after 9-11 days. Both the male and female care for the young and remain monogamous until the young are on their own. Territories are established while nesting but for the rest of the year they form large mixed species flocks. 

Learn more: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nashville_Warbler

Photo: Nashville Warbler by Gracie McMahon; www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nashville_Warbler

Range Map: Blue (non-breeding); yellow (migration); orange (breeding) www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nashville_Warbler