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Only here in spring and fall, these dapper dressers โ think Hawaiian shirt and a tux โ have the moves to match.
The fiery orange throat of a springtime Blackburnian warbler is a showstopper. With a black-and-white back, a dark triangular cheek patch outlined in bright orange and a light belly elegantly striped on his sides, a male Blackburnian warbler sighting in breeding plumage is always cause to celebrate. The female has a more subdued color palette and her throat is often a buttery yellow, but she has the same distinctive dark triangular patch on her cheek. When the Blackburnian makes a return appearance in the fall, the birdโs coloring is less flamboyant because heโs not looking to impress the females with his spectacular breeding-ready flashy plumage (or his song).
Super Flier
One of the most dashing migratory birds, the 10-gram Blackburnian warbler is a champion flier that migrates from its wintering grounds in South America to the Canadian boreal forest in the spring and traverses the continent southward again in the fall. Like all of our visiting songbirds, Blackburnians are nocturnal migrants and undertake their treacherous journey exclusively at night, mostly to take advantage of cooler temperatures and to avoid their predators.
Canopy Lovers
Tops of trees are the best places to spot Blackburnian warblers, but sometimes youโll hear a male before you see one: listen for a buzzy high-pitched song, which also happens to be how they attract a female. Sometimes males will fend off other suitors by waging territorial disputes that look like a choreographed spectacle: They chase other males around the canopy frenetically with their tail raised and fanned out, and with an occasional pirouette added for extra flourish. From plumage to behavior, the Blackburnian warbler is a paragon of extravagance.
On the Menu
Blackburnian warblers feast on spiders, insects of every persuasion, including caterpillars, ants, and beetles, and occasionally top up their menu with berries. They often eat by hovering in the air near clumps of leaves and then plucking their prey from the foliage.
Family Life
Whereas the male Blackburnian warblers strut their stuff and sing up a storm, females are left with the grunt work, which includes building a nest in the treetops and incubating their young. Males do participate in feeding their fledglings until they leave the nest, about 2 to 4 weeks after hatching.
Seeing Blackburnian warblers in Toronto:
Spring: early May to late May
Fall: late August to early October
Where to see them: Look in the tops of trees anywhere along the ravines, in local parks, or even in your backyard!ย
Looking for more feathered friends? Check out the Killdeer and American Woodcock.
