Species · GBIF taxon 6093199
Blackburnian Warbler
Setophaga fuscaAlso known as Hemlock Warbler, Orange-throated Warbler, Torch-bird
Blackburnian Warblers are striking canopy-dwelling songbirds, famous for the male's brilliant, flame-orange throat and breast. They spend most of their time foraging in the highest branches of mature coniferous forests, where they search for insects among the needles. During migration, their high-pitched, ascending songs, which end in a thin, barely audible buzz, help birdwatchers locate them high in the treetops.
MigratoryInsectivorousCanopy-dwelling
- diet
- Insects, spiders, and occasionally berries during migration
- family
- Parulidae
- threats
- Habitat loss on breeding and wintering grounds, forest fragmentation, and window collisions
- life Span
- 3 to 6 years
LC
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Highly dependent on mature hemlock forests, which are threatened by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid.
Avoid using playback calls during the breeding season to prevent disrupting nesting pairs.- Look up: Scan the very tops of mature hemlock, spruce, and pine trees where they prefer to forage.
- Listen for the buzz: Learn their extremely high-pitched song, which ends in a thin, insect-like trill.
- Visit during migration: Look for them in deciduous woodlots during spring and fall migration when they feed lower.