Black warbler. Photo by Tom Mast
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In On the Move, our regular migration column, we feature pairs of eBird distribution maps that you can use to compare where interesting birds are at different times of the year. We featured the Black Warbler, pictured above, in our October 2018 issue.
black warbler
eBird maps show where the Black Warbler was observed in June 2007-2017 (left) and September 2007-2017.
It’s hard to forget the stunning throat and flamboyant orange breast of the male Black Warbler. A Setophaga A warbler of boreal spruce forests and Appalachian hemlock stands, the Black Warbler spends the majority of its time feeding high in the upper portions of the canopy, a niche specialization that allows it to coexist with others warblers of the same genus. In June, it breeds in the Canadian boreal forest from Alberta to the Maritime Provinces, in parts of the northern Lower 48 from Minnesota east to New England, and in the Appalachians south to north of Georgia. During September, the species is on the move and can be found in forested habitats throughout much of the eastern United States. Bird watchers in the West, particularly along the California coast, should be on the lookout for lost individuals that have become misoriented during fall migration.
View eBird’s real-time distribution maps for the Black Warbler.
eBird is the real-time online checklist maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. “On the Move” is written by Garrett MacDonald, Chris Wood, Marshall Iliff and Brian Sullivan of eBird. Submit your bird sightings at ebird.org.
A version of this article appeared in “Birding Briefs” in the September/October 2018 issue of BirdWatching.
