Black-throated blue warbler

Dendroica caerulescens

Photo by Paul Jones (Flickr)

Common name:
black-throated blue warbler (en); felosa-azul-de-garganta-preta (pt); paruline bleue (fr); reinita azulada (es); blaurücken-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species breeds in south-eastern Canada, from southern Ontario to Nova Scotia, and southwards into the eastern United States as far south as Tennessee and northern Georgia. they migrate south to winter in the Caribbean, from southern Florida south to Panama and Barbados.

Size:
These birds are 13 cm long and weigh about 8,5-12 g.

Habitat:
The black-throated blue warbler breeds in undisturbed deciduous and mixed-deciduous forests, particularly maple, birch, beech, hemlock, spruce and fir, favouring areas with dense understory. Outside the breeding season they also use moist tropical forests, tropical scrublands, plantation, rural gardens and urban areas.

Diet:
During the breeding season they are mainly insectivorous, taking beetles, caterpillars, butterflies, flies, bugs and spiders. During the rest of the year they complement this diet with fruits, berries and seeds.

Breeding:
These birds are generally monogamous, although extra-pair copulations are common in both sexes. The nest is built by the female, consisting of a cup made of bark, dried grasses and twigs, and lined with fur, mosses or rootlets. the nest is usually place less than 1,5 m above the ground in dense foliage. There the female lays 2-5 white eggs with dark speckles, which she incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 8-10 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as common. Overall the population has undergone a small increase in the last 4 decades, although some local decreases took place at the edges of the range and have been attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation.

Pine warbler

Dendroica pinus

Photo by Ken Thomas (Wikipedia)

Common name:
pine warbler (en); mariquita-dos-pinhais (pt); paruline des pins (fr); reinita del pinar (es); kiefer-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species breeds in south-eastern Canada and in the eastern United States, as far west as south-eastern Manitoba and north-eastern Texas, and also in the north-western Bahamas and in the island of Hispaniola.

Size:
These birds are 13-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 19-23 cm. They weigh 7-17 g.

Habitat:
The pine warbler is mostly found in pine forests in temperate areas, also using mixed pine-deciduous forests, and moist tropical forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.100 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on caterpillars and other arthropods such as beetles, grasshoppers, bugs, ants, bees, flies, cockroach eggs and spiders. During winter they also eat pine seeds and other seeds, berries and fruits.

Breeding:
Pine warblers are monogamous and breed in March-July. The nest is mainly built by the female, consisting of a compact cup made of grass, plant stems and fibres, bark strips, pine needles, twigs, and fine roots, bound together with spider or caterpillar silk and lined with feathers, hair, and plant down. The nest is almost always placed in a pine Pinus tree, most often on an horizontal branch but sometimes also on a fork, 3-35 m above the ground. The female lays 3-5 white, greyish or greenish-white eggs with brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 10-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10 days after hatching. Each pair can raise 1-3 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 13 million individuals. The population has increased by 15% per decade over the last 4 decades.

Three-striped warbler

Basileuterus tristriatus

Photo by R.S. Scanlon (Mango Verde)

Common name:
three-striped warbler (en); pula-pula-de-cabeça-listada (pt); paruline triligne (fr); reinita cabecilistada (es); dreistreifen-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species is found in Costa Rica, Panama and northern Colombia and Venezuela, and along the Andes from western Colombia down to central Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 13 cm long and weigh 10-13 g.

Habitat:
The three-striped warbler is found in mid-altitude, moist tropical forests, mainly at altitudes of 1.000-2.000 m, but ocasionally as low as 300 m and as high as 2.700 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on arthropods, may possibly also take some vegetable mater.

Breeding:
Three-striped warblers breed in February-September. The nest is a small domed cup with a side entrance, usually placed on a steep slope or bank, or built into the leaf litter or under the base of a sapling or small trees. There the female lays 1-3 white eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for about 16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-11 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

Northern waterthrush

Parkesia noveboracensis

Photo by Simon Barrette (Wikipedia)

Common name:
northern waterthrush (en); mariquita-boreal (pt); paruline des ruisseaux (fr); reinita charquera norteña (es); uferwaldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species breeds in northern North America, from Alaska and the Northwet territories to Newfoundland, and south to Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Virginia. They migrate south to winter from Mexico and southern Florida, across Central America and the Caribbean and into the Guyanas, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and extreme northern Peru.

Size:
These birds are 12-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 21-24 cm. They weigh 13-25 g.

Habitat:
The northern waterthrush is mostly found breeding in wooded or scrubby bogs and marshes, also using the vegetation along northern lakes and rivers as well as temperate scrublands and forests. Outside the breeding season they use moist tropical forests and scrublands, mangroves, marshes, rivers and plantations.

Diet:
They may forage on the ground, among the foliage or in water, taking adult and larval insects, spiders, snails, crustaceans and small freshwater fishes.

Breeding:
Northern waterthrushes are monogamous and breed in May-August. They nest in a cup made of grasses, leaves, moss, pine needles and bark, which is lined with hair and usually placed on the ground among the roots of a tree, under upturned trees, along a bank, in a fern clump, or in a moss-covered stump, frequently under cover. The female lays 3-6 white eggs with brown and grey spots, which she incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 9-10 days after hatching, but only become fully independent some 3 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 13 million individuals. The population has had a stable trend over the last 4 decades. Potential threats to the northern waterthrush include habitat loss and degradation through drainage of marshes and swamps for agriculture, as well as the direct and indirect effects of pesticides.

Red warbler

Ergaticus ruber

(Photo from NaturaLista)

Common name:
red warbler (en); mariquita-vermelha (pt); paruline rouge (fr); reinita roja (es); purpur-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Mexico, being found form southern Chihuahua to southern Hidalgo.

Size:
These birds are 12,5-13,5 cm long and weigh 7,5-9 g.

Habitat:
The red warbler is found in humid and semi-humid pine, pine-oak, fir and to a lesser extent oak forests, located at high-altitudes. They are present at altitudes of 2.000-3.500 m.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, gleaning various insects from the foliage.

Breeding:
Red warblers breed in February-May. The female builds the nest alone, consisting of an oven-shaped structure made of pine needles, grass, lichens, moss and dead leaves. She lays 3-4 pale pink eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for 16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-11 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

American redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

Photo by Dan Pancamo (Wikipedia)

Common name:
American redstart (en); mariquita-de-rabo-vermelho (pt); paruline flamboyante (fr); candelita norteña (es); schnäpperwaldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species breeds in most of Canada and in the eastern United States, as well as in the northern Midwest of the United States. They migrate south to winter from Mexico down to Peru, Venezuela, the Guyanas and marginally into northern Brazil. They also winter in the Caribbean.

Size:
These birds are 11-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 16-19 cm. They weigh 6-9 g.

Habitat:
The American redstart breeds mainly in open-canopy deciduous forests, also using second growths, boreal forests, scrublands, rural gardens and parks within urban areas. Outside the breeding season they are found in tropical scrublands, both moist and dry tropical forests and mangroves. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
They are almost exclusively insectivorous, mainly taking caterpillars, moths, flies, leafhoppers, wasps, beetles, aphids, stoneflies and spiders. Outside the breeding they will occasionally also eat berries and seeds.

Breeding:
American redstarts breed in May-July. They are predominantly monogamous, although some cases of polygamy are known. The nest is a tightly-woven cup, made of grass, roots, feathers, birch bark and hairs. It is placed in a branch against the trunk, or on a fork, in a tree or scrub. There the female lays 2-5 white or cream-coloured eggs with brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 10-13 days. The chicks fledge 9 days after hatching, but remain with one of the parents for up to 3 weeks after fledging.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 23 million individuals. The population has undergone a small decrease over the last 4 decades due to habitat loss in both wintering and breeding areas.

Kentucky warbler

Oporornis formosa

Photo by Brian Small (Larkwire)

Common name:
Kentucky warbler (en); mariquita-do-Kentucky (pt); paruline du Kentucky (fr); chipe cachetinegro (es); Kentuckywaldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species breeds in the eastern United States, from Wisconsin to New York and south to north-eastern Texas to northern Florida. They migrate south to winter in the Caribbean and from eastern Mexico to northern Colombia and north-western Venezuela.

Size:
These birds are 12-13 cm long and have a wingspan of 18-22 cm. They weigh 10-14 g.

Habitat:
The Kentucky warbler breeds in humid deciduous forests, dense second growths, and swamps, favouring forests with a slightly open canopy and a dense understorey. Outside the breeding season they are found in moist tropical forests. This species occurs from sea level up to an altitude of 1.850 m.

Diet:
They forage on the forests leaf litter and also on the lower parts of the trees and scrubs, taking insects, such as ants, bees grasshoppers and caterpillars, as well as spiders and sometimes seeds and fruits.

Breeding:
Kentucky warblers breed in May-July. The nest is a cup made of grasses, rootlets, plant fibres and dead leaves, usually hidden by overhanging vegetation or fallen branches, and built so that the base rests on the ground, sometimes partly anchored by a small scrub. There the female lays 3-6 white or creamy-white eggs with grey and brown blotches. The eggs are incubated by the female for 12-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest 8-10 days after hatching, but only start flying some 4 days later and only become fully independent 2 weeks later. Typically, each pair raises a single brood per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 1,1 million individuals. The population has undergone a small decline over the last 4 decades, especially in the southern Appalachian region, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Hooded warbler

Wilsonia citrina

Photo by Paul Guris (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
hooded warbler (en); mariquita-de-capuz (pt); paruline à capuchon (fr); chipe encapuchado (es); kapuzenwaldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species breeds in the eastern United States, from Connecticut to Wisconsin and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas. They also breed in southern Ontario, Canada. They migrate south to winter in the Caribbean and in Central America from south-eastern Mexico to Panama.

Size:
These birds are 12-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 20-22 cm. They weigh 9-12 g.

Habitat:
The hooded warbler breeds within dense temperate forests with a well developed understory, generally avoiding the forest edge. The sexes use different wintering habitats, with males preferring moist tropical forests and females preferring scrublands.

Diet:
They feed mainly on small insects, spiders and other invertebrates, which they either pick from the foliage or catch in flight.

Breeding:
Hooded warblers breed in April-June. They are socially monogamous, but extra-pair paternity is common. The female builds the nest, a cup made of bark, dead leaves and other plant material placed in a low scrub on the forest understory. There she lays 3-5 eggs which are incubated for 12 days. The chicks are fed by both sexes and fledge 8-9 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 4 million individuals. The population has undergone a small decline over the last 4 decades, but it is not threatened at present.

Crescent-chested warbler

Parula superciliosa

Photo by Raul Padilla (Bird Forum)

Common name:
crescent-chested warbler (en); mariquita-de-peito-manchado (pt); paruline à croissant (fr); chipe pechimanchado (es); schmuckwaldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species is found in Central America, from northern Mexico to Nicaragua.

Size:
These birds are 10,5-12 cm long and weigh 8-10 g.

Habitat:
The crescent-chested warbler occupies humid to semi-humid pine-oak forest, oak, and oak-evergreen forests, at altitudes of 900-3.500 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on insects, but will also take fruits and berries.

Breeding:
Crescent-chested warblers are monogamous and breed in April-July. The nest is a cup made of green moss and lined fine plant fibers, grass stems, and hair, which is placed on top of a grassy tussock or on a bank near the ground. There the female lays 2-3 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both sexes and fledge 8-10 days after hatching. Each pair raises 1-2 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

Palm warbler

Dendroica palmarum

Photo by Guy Poisson (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
palm warbler (en); mariquita-das-palmeiras (pt); paruline à couronne rousse (fr); reinita palmera (es); palm-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species breeds in northern North America, from northern Canada to the northern United States in Minnesota, Wyoming, Michigan and Maine. They migrate south to winter along the pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States, along the Gulf coast into Texas and also in the Caribbean as far south as Puerto Rico and along the Atlantic coast of Central America from southern Mexico to Panama.

Size:
These birds are 12,5-14,5 cm long and weigh 9-11 g.

Habitat:
The palm warbler breeds in open bogs bordered by coniferous forests, mainly spruces and tamaracks. They prefer bogs covered by Sphagnum mosses, sedges and other aquatic plants. Outside the breeding season they are found in a variety of habitats including grasslands, scrublands, swamps and marshes, savannas, mangroves, pastures, rural gardens and urban areas.

Diet:
They mainly forage on the ground, but in the foliage and take insects in flight. Their main prey include grasshoppers, beetles, flies, bugs, butterflies, moths, wasps, bees and ant larvae. Outside the breeding season they also eat berries, seeds and nectar.

Breeding:
Palm warblers are monogamous and breed in May-July. The nest is a cup made of weed stalks, grasses, sedges, bark shreds, rootlets and ferns, placed on moss-covered ground, usually at the base of a small tree near the margins of a bog. There the female lays 4-5 creamy-white eggs with brown markings, which are incubated by both parents for 12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12 days after hatching. Typically they raise a single clutch per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 23 million individuals. The population has undergone a large increase of 45% per decade over the last 4 decades.

Prairie warbler

Dendroica discolor

Photo by William Hull (Mango Verde)

Common name:
prairie warbler (en); mariquita-da-pradaria (pt); paruline des prés (fr); chipe galán (es); rostscheitel-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species is found breeding in southern Ontario, Canada, and across the eastern United States from Maine to Michigan and Iowa, and south to the Gulf coast from eastern Texas to Florida. The population in Florida is resident, but all others migrate south to winter in the northern Caribbean, as far south as Montserrat, and along the Atlantic coast of southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and northern Nicaragua.

Size:
These birds are 10-12 cm long and have a wingspan of 18-19 cm. they weigh 6-9 g.

Habitat:
They are mostly found in dry scrublands and along forest edges, but also in rural gardens. The resident population in Florida prefers mangroves. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on insects, including caterpillars, moths, tree crickets, lacewings, bugs, beetles, aphids, leafhoppers and grasshoppers, and also spiders and millipedes. Sometimes they also take berries and tree sap.

Breeding:
Prairie warblers nest in loose colonies and males can mate with several females. They breed in May-July  and the nest is an open cup made of plant down and lined hairs. It is placed low in a tree or scrub, usually less than 3 m above the ground. The female lays 2-5 pale brownish or grey eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for 11-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 8-11 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 4-5 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least  Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 1,4 million individuals. The overall population seems to be stable or only slightly decreasing, but significant declines were reported along the western parts of their breeding range, mostly due to habitat loss caused by human development and afforestation.

Bay-breasted warbler

Dendroica castanea

Photo by Brian Small (Lananhbirds Club)

Common name:
bay-breasted warbler (en); mariquita-de-peito-castanho (pt); paruline à poitrine baie (fr); chipe castaño (es); braunbrust-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This species is found breeding in central and eastern Canada, and across the border into the north-western United States. They migrate along the eastern half of North America and Central America to winter in northern Colombia, Venezuela and the Caribbean.

Size:
These are 14 cm long and have a wingspan of 20-22 cm. They weigh 10-17 g.

Habitat:
Bay-breasted warbler nest in open boreal forests, especially spruce and fir either in pure stands or mixed with clumps of aspens, birch and balsam poplar. During winter they are found in tropical moist forests and second growths.

Diet:
They mainly feed on caterpillars, particularly spruce budworms Choristoneura sp., but also take adult insects, spiders and fruits during winter.

Breeding:
Bay-breasted warblers nest in a small cup made with dried grass, stalks, mosses, roots, twigs, lichens, insect and spider webs. The nest is lined with strips, hair of rabbit and plant down and placed in a spruce, birch, hemlock tree or even in scrubs, 4-12 m above the ground. The female lays 4-7 white or creamy eggs with dark spots, which she incubates alone for 12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-11 days after hatching, but continue to be fed by the adults for several days.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 3-3,5 million individuals. the population has undergone a small decline over the last 4 decades, possibly as result of spraying for spruce budworms. Loss of wintering habitat may also be a problem.

Red-faced warbler

Cardellina rubifrons

Photo by Robert Royse (Robert Royse's Bird Photography)

Common name:
red-faced warbler (en); mariquita-de-faces-vermelhas (pt); paruline à face rouge (fr); chipe cara roja (es); dreifarben-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae

Range:
This North American species is found breeding in northern Mexico and in Arizona and New Mexico, United States. Some population migrate south to winter in southern Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

Size:
These birds are 14-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 19-21 cm. They weigh 8-11 g.

Habitat:
They breed in high elevation coniferous forests, mainly Douglas fir, Engelmann spruce, and Ponderosa pine, especially where small groves of deciduous trees such as oak, maple, or aspen grow among the conifers. In winter they are found in pine, alder and oak forests. These birds occur at altitudes of 1.500-3.100 m.

Diet:
These birds are insectivorous, mostly eating caterpillars, but also some adult insects.

Breeding:
Red-faced warblers nest on the ground, in an open cup built by female using dry leaves, conifer needles, grasses, weeds and bark, and lined with plant fibres and hairs. It is well hidden at base of scrub, rock, grass tuft, tree trunk, or under a log. There she lays 3-6 white or pinkish-white eggs with fine brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 11-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 11-13 days after hatching. The fledglings are then split between the two parents, each taking care of half the chicks for another 4-5 weeks.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 400.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, but the red-faced warbler is not considered threatened at present.

Golden-winged warbler

Vermivora chrysoptera

(Photo from Bornanews)

Common name:
golden-winged warbler (en); mariquita-d'asa-dourada (pt); paruline à ailes dorées (fr); chipe de alas doradas (es); goldflügel-waldsänger (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae


Range:
This species breeds in south-eastern Canada and in the north-eastern United States. It migrates south to winter in Central America and in northern Colombia and Venezuela.


Size:
The golden-winged warbler is 12-14 cm long and has a wingspan of 19-21 cm. These bird weigh 8-11 g.


Habitat:
These birds breed in open woodlands, patchy scrublands and along forest edges and clearings. They are also found in in marshes and tamarack bogs. During winter they are found in the canopies of tropical forests.


Diet:
They forage by probing and picking among foliage, taking various insects and spiders. Caterpillars and adult moths are an important part of their diet.


Breeding:
Golden-winged warblers breed in April-July. The female builds the nest, an open cup made of leaves, grapevine bark, and grass, lined with fine plant material. The nest is placed on the ground, at base of scrub or in a tussock of grass or sedge, usually hidden by foliage. The female lays 3-7 pale cream or pink eggs with brown streaks, which she incubates alone for 10-11 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 8-9 days after hatching, but continue to receive food from parents for another month. Each pair raises a single brood per year.


Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-threatened)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 210.000 individuals. The population has undergone a large decline of 22% per decade over the last 4 decades, mostly caused by advancing succession and reforestation, and the invasive range expansion of blue-winged warbler Vermivora pinus. Other possible causes of population declines are loss of wintering habitat through agricultural expansion and clearance for plantations, nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater and hybridisation with Vermivora pinus.

Connecticut warbler

Oporornis agilis

Photo by Robert Royse (Robert Royse's Bird Photography)

Common name:

Connecticut warbler (en); mariquita-do-connecticut (pt); paruline à gorge grise (fr); chipe de Connecticut (es); augenring-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Parulidae

Range:

The Connecticut warbler breeds in a narrow band across Canada from south-western Northwest Territories east to western Quebec and, in the United States, in northern Minnesota,

Wisconsin, and Michigan. They migrate south to winter inthe Amazon River basin, from Colombia to Brazil.

Size:

They are 13-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 22 cm. They weigh 15 g.

Habitat:

Connecticut warblers breed in spruce and tamarack bogs, and sometimes in open poplar woodlands. During migration and winter they are found in a variety of forest, woodland, scrub and thicket habitats.

Diet:

These birds are mostly insectivorous, eating various small insects, as well as spiders and snails. They also eat berries and seeds.

Breeding:

Connecticut warblers breed in June-July. They build an open cup of fine, dry grasses, dry leaves, stalks of weeds, sedge stems, rootlets, or other plant fibres, hidden on or near ground, in thick undergrowth of saplings, among thickets or at base of a scrub. The female lays 3-5 creamy-white eggs with dark speckles, which she incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents, fledging 8-10 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single clutch per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population size of 1,2 million individuals. The population has undergone a small increase over the last 4 decades, not being considered threatened at present.

Common yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas

Photo by Dan Pancamo (Wikipedia)

Common name:

common yellowthroat (en); mariquita-de-mascarilha (pt); paruline masquée (fr); chipe de cara negra (es); weidengelbkehlchen (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Parulidae

Range:

These birds breed across North America, from Alaska to Mexico, only being absent from the most arid regions of the southern United States. They winter further south, in the southern Unites States and across Central America and the Caribbean, down to northern Venezuela.

Size:

Common yellowthroats are 11-13 cm long and have a wingspan of 15-19 cm. They weigh 9-10 g.

Habitat:

These birds are found in non-forested areas, generally near the ground, occurring in wet scrubland, weeds or grasses along country roads or agricultural environments. They are also found in cattails, bulrushes, sedges, and willows by streamsides, swamps, freshwater, and salt-water marshes. They occupy similar types of habitats for both their breeding and wintering locations.

Diet:

These birds either sally or glean the vegetation for adult and larval insects, such as grasshoppers, dragonflies, beetles and butterflies, also eating spiders and sometimes seeds.

Breeding:

Common yellowthroats breed in April-July. They are mostly monogamous, although some cases of polyginy have been recorded. They nest is a loose bulky cup of grass and other plant materials, placed on or near the ground. there the female lays 3-6 white or cream-white eggs with dark speckles. The female incubates the eggs alone for 12 days, but the chicks are cared or by both parents, fledging 8-10 days after hatching. Each pair typically raises 2 broods per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at 32 million individuals. Although the overall population trend is believed to be stable, the common yellowthroat has declined in many areas, possibly due to habitat loss and disturbance.

Black-and-white warbler

Mniotilta varia

Photo by A.J. Hand (Connecticut Ornithological Association)

Common name:

black-and-white-warbler (en); riscadinha (pt); paruline noir et blanc (fr); chipe rayado (es); baumläuferwaldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Parulidae

Range:

This birds breed throughout the eastern United States and much of Canada. They migrate south to winter from southern Florida through the Bahamas, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean and into northern South America in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru.

Size:

Black-and-white warblers are 11-13 cm long and have a wingspan of 18-22 cm. They weigh 8-15 g.

Habitat:

They breed in mature and second-growth deciduous and mixed forests, requiring large trees and a dense understory. They winter in a variety of forests from high-elevation cloud forests to lowland evergreen and deciduous forests, woodland borders, gardens, and coffee plantations.

Diet:

Black-and-white warblers are insectivorous, gleaning caterpillars, flies, bugs, beetles, borers, spiders, larvae, and egg masses along branches and trunks from the canopy to the ground.

Breeding:

These birds breed in April-August. They build an open cup of dry leaves, grass, bark, and pine needles, lined with fine grasses, horsehair, and moss, usually placed on the ground next to a tree. There the female lays 4-6 white eggs speckled with brown and light purple. The eggs are incubated by the female alone for 10-12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 8-12 days after hatching, but remain in the parents' territory for another 2 to 3 weeks.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 14 million individuals. The population has undergone a small decline over the last 40 years, mostly due to forest fragmentation and increased parasitism by cowbirds. There is also evidence that pesticide use has had a negative effect on this species.

Yellow warbler

Dendroica petechia

Common name:

yellow warbler (en); mariquita-amarela (pt); paruline jaune (fr); canario del manglar (es); gold-waldsänger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Parulidae

Range:

These birds breed throughout much of North America, including Alaska, northern Canada, and the northern 2/3 of the United States. They migrate south to winter in southern California, southern Florida, and south through the Brazilian Amazon, Bolivia, and Peru.

Size:

These small songbirds are 12-13 cm long and have a wingspan of 16-20 cm. They weigh 9-11 g.

Habitat:

They breed in moist, deciduous thickets, especially in willows, but also in shrubby areas and abandoned agricultural fields. In the winter they are found in mangroves, the edges of marshes and swamps, willow-lined streams, and leafy bogs.

Diet:

Yellow warblers are predominantly insectivorous, gleaning insects and their larvae, and spiders from the vegetation. In winter they also eat berries.

Breeding:

They breed in May-June. The female builds the nest, a deep cup of grasses and bark, covered on the outside with plant down and fine fibers, lined with fur or fine plant fibers. It is placed in an upright fork of a scrub or tree. There the female lays 4-5 greenish white eggs with dark spots, which she incubates alone for 10-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 9-12 days after hatching, but parental feeding may continue for 2 more weeks.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 40 million individuals. The population is believed to be stable, but in some areas the loss of riparian woodland habitat and extensive parasitism by cowbirds affect this species. On the other hand, in areas where grazing and herbicide use are restricted, permitting regrowth of riparian vegetation, the species may be increasing.