Warblers- ORDER: Passeriformes
- FAMILY: Parulidae
Basic Description
Tennessee Warblers are dainty, thin-billed warblers that breed in the boreal forest of Canada. Though they lack the brilliant colors of other warbler species, breeding males are a crisp mixture of gray head, white stripe over the eye, and green back. Females and nonbreeders can look more generally yellowish, inviting confusion with species like Orange-crowned Warblers, but they always show white under the tail. This numerous species eats mostly small caterpillars and benefits from the spruce budworm outbreaks that happen periodically in their breeding habitat.
More ID InfoFind This Bird
For most of eastern North America, the best time to find Tennessee Warblers is during migration, as the birds pass between northern Canada and Central/South America. Look for them in early May, and again in September to early October, in open to semiopen forests. These tiny warblers spend much of their time high in trees—find them by watching for fluttering activity at the tips of thin branches. They often sing during spring migration, so listen for their high, chipping, 3-parted song.
Other Names
- Reinita de Tennessee (Spanish)
- Paruline obscure (French)