General

Cerulean Warbler: Small warbler with sky-blue, faintly streaked upperparts and black-streaked white flanks. Black band separates white throat and belly. Wings have two bold white bars. Female has unstreaked, blue-gray upperparts, yellow wash on face and breast, pale streaks on flanks, and yellow eyebrows.

Range and Habitat

Cerulean Warbler: Breeds from extreme southwestern Quebec and southern Ontario west to Minnesota and Nebraska, and south from eastern Texas to North Carolina. Spends winters in montane forests of northern South America. Prefers mature forests with broad-leaved, deciduous species and an open understory; often found near bottomlands and rivers.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"zhee-zhee-zhee-zizizizi zzzeeeet"

Interesting Facts

 The Cerulean Warbler’s population is dropping faster than any other warbler species in the United States. Between 1966 and 1999, it declined an average of 4% per year for a total population loss of 70%. Current estimates are at around 560,000 birds.

 If the female has to abandon a nest and begin a new one, she will leave behind the grass, bark and hair, but will take the spider web with her for the new nest.

 Females frequently exit their canopy nests by tumbling from the nest. In doing so, the female resembles a leaf falling from a tree until, just above the forest floor, she untucks her wings and swiftly flies off parallel to the ground.

 A group of warblers has many collective nouns, including a "bouquet", "confusion", "fall", and "wrench" of warblers.

Author

Gary Owen Dick