- Setophaga cerulea
Dendroica cerulea
Identification
12cm.
Male
- Sky blue upperparts and wings
- White wing bars
- White throat and underparts
- Dark blue necklace
- Streaked flanks
Female
Resembles the male, but blue-green upperparts instead of sky-blue.
Distribution
Breeding
Breeds in eastern North America. 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.
Winters in the mountains from Colombia to Venezuela and Bolivia.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Formerly placed in genus Dendroica.
Habitat
Mature deciduous forest, mostly in damp areas or near swamps.
Status
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.
Behaviour
Breeding
The cup nests are placed on a horizontal branch high in a hardwood tree, in the upper canopy of old growth deciduous forests.
Diet
The diet includes insects.
Vocalisation
Song: 3-5 notes on a single pitch followed by a buzzy ascending trill.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Cerulean Warbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Cerulean_Warbler
