From Opus

Dendroica cerulea

Photo by TennisSteve
Location: Willows, Sea Rim State Park, Texas.

[edit] Identification

Small New World Warbler

[edit] Male

• Sky blue upperparts and wings
• White wing bars
• White throat and underparts
• Dark blue necklace
• Streaked flanks

[edit] Female

Resembles the male, but blue-green upperparts instead of sky-blue.

[edit] Distribution

[edit] Breeding

Breed in eastern North America in the upper canopy of old growth deciduous forests. Their breeding range extends from Missouri and Minnesota in the west to New England in the east, and from Ontario south to Tennessee and North Carolina. The heart of their range is the Appalachian Plateau in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

[edit] Non-breeding

Migrate to South America, primarily in Venezuela and Colombia.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.

[edit] Habitat

Mature deciduous forest, mostly in damp areas or near swamps. In migration usually found in similar habitat.

[edit] Voice

[edit] Song

Their song is three to five notes on a single pitch followed by a buzzy ascending trill.

[edit] Discussion

Cerulean Warblers have declined rapidly in recent decades. Data from the Breeding Bird Survey indicates a loss of about 80% of the population over the last 40 years. This rate of attrition is the highest for any warbler species. Loss and fragmentation of forest habitat on both the breeding and wintering grounds is the most likely cause for the decline.

[edit] External Links