Warblers…They’re Coming Through
He was born to be a “birder.” He got his first field guide when he was in 3rd grade. By the time he was nine he wrote his fist book, “Greg Cunningham’s First Book of Birds.” It was destiny. Greg continues to be an active bird watcher and all-around naturalist.
Greg grew up in Villa Hills and until recently lived in
Greg recently took a trip to Lake Erie’s
Many folks go a lifetime without know that warblers even exist. These small neo-tropical migrants are little more than 5-inches long. They are extremely colorful and persistent songsters, but you’d be hard pressed to even see one without a good pair of binoculars. They are THE bird that birders take to the trail for every spring, bragging about their sightings and every bit as enthusiastic as the most fervent fly-fishermen.
“The wood warblers are in breeding plumage now with very bright colorations,” said Greg. In fact, 25 of the 38 eastern warblers have yellow as the dominant color. They look like flashy winged jewels.
Warblers are highly varied with 116 species living in the
“It is interesting to note that they only spend a few months in
One warbler seriously impacted by deforestation is the Cerulean warbler. Their numbers have plummeted by 70% over the last several decades. “Ceruleans need large, mature, intact woods,” said Greg. “Fragmentation, strip-mining and logging have really taken a toll on them.”
“The bird that everyone wants to see at
First arrivals to
Our smallest warbler is the
“Only one of our eastern warblers is a cavity nester, the Prothonotary warbler,” said Greg. “Prothonotaries nest along streams and wetlands and will often use nest boxes.”
Gorgeous birds, males are brilliant yellow-orange with blue-gray wings.
One of Greg’s favorite warblers is the American Redstart, a showy and hyperactive bird. Males are black with striking orange flashes. In their native
No warbler travels further than does the Blackpoll warbler. In spring some Blackpolls migrate nearly 8,000 miles one way from as far south as
True to their name, Prairie warblers can be found in open areas, while Pine warblers are usually found amongst pine trees. Not so true to their name,
The most widely distributed warbler is the Yellow warbler, with the Common Yellowthroat running a close second. Both are spectacular looking birds and occur nearly over the entire continent.
Unfortunately, since Europeans have colonized the continent, seven North American birds have gone extinct. One victim is the Bachman’s warbler, a beautiful black and yellow bird. Like the Ivory-billed woodpecker, Bachman’s bred in the old-growth swamp forests of the southeastern
Some warblers are even hybrids. The Brewster’s warbler is a cross between the Blue-winged and Golden-winged warbler. While the
Brewster’s and Golden-winged or Blue-winged warbler. And believe it or not,
Is there a consistent favorite warbler? “If there’s a favorite for most it’s probably the Blackburnian warbler,” said Greg. “It is magnificent with its flame-orange throat and black and orange head.”
During the month of May warblers can be seen just about anywhere. It’s just a matter of grabbing the binoculars and looking up to see these tropical visitors. They are well worth the view.
Contact Gayle at her website for nest boxes at www.woodlandhabitat.com or at yourtown@fuse.net
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