Good questions, Benjamin (in Seattle).

You’re not too late, Benjamin, as there’s two solutions to your question:

1. Go to several northern USA states where diverse, abundant BREEDING wood-warbler species occur. I think of Door Co., WI and upper New York state and Maine — all of which host more than 10 species of breeding wood-warblers. To find “hot spot” birding spots that host wood-warblers in the aforementioned locations, go to eBird.org…..Then click on the “hot spots” button and enter the names of the areas you’d like to visit for birding. Then click on the “+” sign when you scroll geographically to your preferred visitation area.
3. Go north (!) Ontario and several other Midwestern and Eastern higher latitudes still host migrating wood-warblers that you can pursue through early June, though, as you intimated with your question, the en masse migration of wood-warblers is largely completed among most of the lower 48 USA states.

A good source beyond eBird to check is birdinghotspots.org

As for next spring from mid-April through the third week of May, here’s some wood-warbler hot spots to consider visiting via the courtesy of http://www.birding.com/top200hotspots.asp

This above link features excellent birding venue options:

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia
33.91 N 84.61 W
The mile-long road to the top of the “mountain” should yield about 20 warbler species in late April. On weekends, you can ride a shuttle bus to the top. Good trails cover most of this park located about 20 miles northwest of Atlanta.

Cape May, NJ
38.56 N 74.57 W
Hawks “funnel” into Cape May each fall, making this the best spot on the East Coast for raptors. Fantastic for warblers and other migrating birds in spring and fall. One of the top 10 spots in North America.

Central Park, New York City
40.47 N 73.58 W
Birds? In New York City? During spring migration, Central Park is a welcomed island of green trees in the middle of a concrete desert. Warblers, Tanagers, Grosbeaks (and maybe a Rock Dove).

Crane Creek/Magee Marsh/Ottawa NWR
41.37 N 83.09 W
Spring migration here may be even better than Point Pelee — and two hours closer if you live in Ohio! Go visit the Oak Openings and Irwin Prairie on the west side of Toledo as well.

Point Pelee
41.56 N 82.31 W
This tip of Ontario extends into Lake Erie, forming a welcome site for migrating birds in May and a natural “funnel” in the fall. Warblers in the spring are everywhere. Watch the flight of Monarch butterflies and huge flocks of Blue Jays in the fall. Considered by most as one of the Top 10 birding spots in North America.

Devil’s Lake State Park, Wisconsin
43.42 N 89.73 W
Great scenery and a mix of northern and southern birds can be found here. For worm-eating Warbler, try nearby Baxter’s Hollow Preserve. The International Crane Foundation is located just north of here in Baraboo.

*

As for when warbler migration begins during the spring, the range of dates vary by latitude and, often, annually, based on weather patterns.

In general (and to oversimplify), warbler migration begins in Florida in March (and becomes obvious by April) while southern Wisconsin, for example, attracts warblers in abundance by the last week of April (though it more typically peaks in the first or second week of May). Point Pelee (noted above) is often best visited during the initial days of May while upper Michigan usually peaks with warbler activity during the third and fourth weeks of May.

That’s not to say warbler migration is absent prior to March in Florida or prior to May in Wisconsin. Early warbler visitors are present in both areas (e.g., LA Waterthrush in FL; Yellow-rumped and Palm Warbler in WI, among other species).

But, again, in general, warbler migration is best considered an April and May phenomenon in most lower 48 USA states.

Thanks for the question, Mary.

After many years of debate, the AOS (American Ornithological Society) in 2017 moved the yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens) to the Icteriidae. It is the only member of this family.

As you may know, this seven-inch songbird was once a member of the New World warbler family (Parulidae)

The reorganization does not end the controversy among researchers. Several still believe blood analysis suggests the chat should remain in the Parulidae.

For your first question, Giselle, the answer:

Not many, Giselle — as only the Swainson’s, Virginia’s, Kentucky, Hermit, Golden-cheeked, and Yellow-throated Warbler have breeding ranges limited to areas within the lower 48 state. Golden-cheeked is restricted to nesting ONLY in Texas, but migrates south during the non-breeding season.

To clarify, the Blackpoll Warbler does not qualify as an endemic nester to the continental U.S. because it breeds extensively in latitudes north (and into Canada and Alaska) among places where it breeds in the northern U.S. and farther north.

(Below photo shows a male Kentucky Warbler.)

Thanks for the question, Mary.

After many years of debate, the AOS (American Ornithological Society) in 2017 moved the Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) to the Icteriidae family. It is the only member of this family…..(NOT many bird species are an “only child” in their own family in N. America.)

As you may know, this seven-inch songbird was once a member of the New World warbler family (Parulidae)

The reorganization does not end the controversy among researchers. Several still believe blood analysis suggests the chat should remain in the Parulidae. In my view, they are NOW in the minority opinion, yet remain steadfast that the traditional Biological Species Concept (based on song/call expressions; behavior; skull/anatomical features) should, thus, persist……as the taxonomical organization device for separating the world’s bird species into orders and families (e.g., Parulidae, Icteriidae, etc…..There’s ~262 families in the world.)

Mary (in Sausalito, CA), depending on where you go birding in Alaska, here’s the typical, annual

nesters in our 49th, Final Frontier (amazing) state:

Blackpoll

Wilson’s

Orange-crowned

Yellow-rumped

&

Northern Waterthrush

have the largest ranges throughout the state….but several other documented sightings of other wood-warbler species occur annually to periodically throughout the region, per this link to a checklist of Alaska (via eBird):

Note the above checklist ALSO lists the “Leaf Warblers” that may occur in Alaska — which is a a different family than the Parulidae family that comprises the vast majority of New World/N. America wood-warbler species.

Now to go birding for rare gull species before they leave for more northern latitude breeding grounds.

Regards, Daniel

Consulting Avian Biologist

(My resume is at my web site: WarblerWatch.com)

& 

Birding Guide

(See “Birding Tours” at WarblerWatch.com)

Kelsey, those are two fine questions.

Answers: 1) In common, typical vernacular, I think both popular and academic literature/articles uses these two terms synonymously, though “vagrant” is more typical. A fine, recent book titled Vagrancy In Birds may help my contention point here, given research ornithologists seem (in my experience) to usually employ “vagrant.”

2) There’s no absolute abundance order for the so-called Eastern and Midwestern USA wood-warbler vagrant species that are observed at, say, the Point Reyes lighthouse or nearby among “islands of green” (e.g., Monterey Cypress groves on cattle ranch land within Point Reyes National Seashore, the farthest western longitude in the lower 48 USA….and, thus, a magnet for wood-warbler individuals expressing MIrror-image Misorientation — an innate navigation problem that changes their typical in-born proclivity to migrate southwest INSTEAD of southeast during their initial* autumn trek away from natal grounds). (* = Most songbird species vagrants seen in coastal West Coast areas are hatch year/first-year individuals.)

My opinion is that the following species from are usually the most typical vagrant species to appear from approximately mid-August through October vagrants in Marin County and along the coast near or within Pt. Reyes National Seashore: Tennessee, Blackpoll, American Redstart (though it’s reported periodically to nest in N. CA), Black & White, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted, and Northern Parula.

Meanwhile, it’s time to look for a) more of our typical nesting West Coast wood-warblers that sometimes remain in small numbers during the current non-breeding season near me in Novato (inland Marin County) and along the coast: Black-throated Gray, Wilson’s, Yellow, and Orange-crowned (that, actually, begin returning this week to nest here in SMALL numbers, with a larger pulse beginning by March, annually) and b) Gull species; and c) Non-breeding season hawk species visitors, including Ferruginous and Rough-legged. I hope my upcoming Marin Audubon Society and Golden Gate Bird Alliance field trips see both of these Buteo members along Skaggs Island Rd. (near Novato).

Lastly, my Bird Guiding tours are noted at my web site, WarblerWatch.com. In addition, it features information about where my upcoming “Birding By Ear In The Sierra” week-long workshop for San Francisco State University (June 9 – 14, 2024). Details and registration are at: http://siera.sfsu.educ/classes-workshops

Good question, Elsie (in Rhinelander)

Typically, there’s a few lingering wood-warbler species that typically are the most likely to see in November and, even, on Christmas Bird Count surveys in northern latitudes in the Lower 48 USA states, including:

Yellow-rumped

Palm

Common Yellowthroat

Orange-crowned

and

Pine Warbler

Other candidates?

I believe Black & White and Cape May are more infrequent than the aforementioned species as malingers.

Readers may have valid opinions to share. Please let me know.

Meanwhile, it’s back to birding fun….I’m excited to soon lead some birding trips as a guide….and my ZOOM show will highlight rare and vagrant bird species behavior, including the ecology of vagrancy.

Interested in a birding tour? Please contact me at DanielEdelstein@att.net …and my web site (WarblerWatch.com) has a “Birding Tours” section for information.