Species · GBIF taxon 6093345
Northern Parula
Setophaga americanaAlso known as Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, Parula Warbler
Northern parulas are tiny, energetic canopy-dwellers easily recognized by their blue-grey upperparts, bright yellow throat, and a distinct bronze patch on their backs. They are famous for their rising, buzzy trill that ends in a sharp, explosive click, a signature sound of eastern forests in spring. These warblers have a unique nesting strategy, weaving their cup-shaped nests directly inside hanging clumps of Spanish moss or Usnea lichens.
MigratoryInsectivorousVocalist
- diet
- Insects, spiders, caterpillars, and occasionally berries or nectar
- family
- Parulidae
- threats
- Habitat loss, window collisions during migration, and loss of nesting lichens due to air pollution
- life Span
- Typically 2 to 5 years
LC
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- Listen for the buzz: Locate them by their rising buzzy song that ends with a sharp upward note.
- Look up high: Scan the upper canopy of mature trees, especially near water or hanging moss.
- Check lichen clumps: Watch for females gathering nesting material or weaving nests inside hanging lichens.