The Wood Warblers

April 26, 2019

Blue-winged, Worm-eating, Canada, Hooded, Blackburnian, and Swainson’s; and American Redstart.

The next few weeks will be warbler weeks in Connecticut. True, vireos and thrushes and sandpipers and lots of others birds will be arriving too, but it seems almost beyond debate that warbler migration excites the spring birder more than those others.

Looking forward to it? We’ve got you covered. Here are links highlighting seven previous Bird Finders, each of them with amazing details about warblers.

Blackburnian Warbler.

Blue-winged Warbler. Look for bright yellow underparts that contrast strongly with white undertail coverts. It has a sharp black bill and a dark eye line that really stands out on its bright yellow face and crown. That yellow crown fades to a green nape and back, which itself blends into blue-gray wings that have white wing bars. By Nick Bonomo, published June 28, 2018

Worm-eating Warbler. Once seen well, Worm-eating Warblers are unlikely to be confused with any other expected species in Connecticut. The trick is, of course, seeing one well. By Chris Wood, published May 30, 2018. 

Canada Warbler

Canada Warbler. During the breeding season, Canada Warblers are found in mixed coniferous-deciduous forests with a well-developed understory, which often includes dense stands of mountain laurel. By Paul Cianfaglione, published June 23, 2017. 

Hooded Warbler. Usually first noticed by a ringing “weeta, weeta, weeteeo” song, a Hooded Warbler sighting highlights almost any bird walk in the Connecticut woods. By Chris Wood, published May 19, 2017. 

Blackburnian Warbler. One of the most strikingly colored of our wood-warblers, this species’ flaming orange throat was responsible for its colloquial name of “Fire Throat.” By Andy Griswold, published May 17, 2016.

American Redstart. In spring and summer they are commonly found in young and mature forests with a good understory component. By Andy Rzeznikiewicz. Published September 21, 2016.

Swainson’s Warbler. One of those “little brown jobs,” it has been seen in the states around Connecticut but never here. But there is the possibility of an overshoot in spring when birds move back to their breeding grounds, which reach as far north as Virginia. By Andy Griswold. Published April 30, 2015.