Warblers

Pine Warbler

Warblers of North America are often called "wood-warblers." Most warblers are colorful. Yellow is very common but you will also see blue, green and gray. Sometimes you may see chestnut, orange or red.

All warblers are small, about the size of a chickadee (except for the Yellow-breasted Chat). They have relatively small heads and slim bodies. Their bills are fine, pointed and short, designed to catch insects. They all have nine outer wing feathers, nine inner wing feathers and 12 tail feathers. The one exception is the Olive Warbler, which is in its own family and has 10 outer wing feathers.

A good clue in identifying warblers is their behavior. Most warblers are quick and agile as they forage, flitting from one spot to another within the foliage canopy, moving even faster than chickadees. We often get only a few seconds at a time to observe the bird. Many warblers eat insects off of leaves and can be seen in leaf clusters at the ends of branches.

Olive Warbler

Warblers begin singing in early spring into summer. Some start singing during migration and increase their songs as they get close to breeding grounds. Generally, only males sing, and they usually sing from medium high to high branches.

Most songs are very high pitched; some are a series of high whistled notes on the same pitch or different pitch and others are high pitched trills. None are long or melodic. Other calls (you really can't call them "songs") are raspy buzzes.

There are 51 species of warblers in North America which is why I've kept this article more general rather than focusing on specific birds. There are field guides devoted to warblers. In the Lehigh Valley, you may be able to spot early, middle and late migrants, adding 10 to 20 species to your birding list.

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Spring migration in our area usually begins in mid to late April and into late May. Spots to find warblers in our area include Jacobsburg State Park, Monocacy Nature Center, Nockamixon State Park, Wild Creek Reservoir, Jordan Creek Parkway, Martins Creek and Green Lane Reservoir.

Some species may be confused with warblers: Kinglets, which are small and often seen migrating with warblers; Vireos, some of which have similar coloring as warblers but have thicker bills; and Gnatcatchers, which are smaller than most warblers and have very long tails with mostly gray bodies.