Setophaga fusca
The Blackburnian Warbler, *Setophaga fusca*, is a strikingly vibrant New World warbler, celebrated for the male's fiery orange and black plumage during the breeding season. Measuring approximately 12-13 cm (4.7-5.1 inches) in length with a wingspan of 19-22 cm (7.5-8.7 inches) and weighing 8-13 grams, its small size belies its bold coloration. The adult male's incandescent orange throat and breast, contrasted by black streaking on the flanks and a black-and-white striped head pattern, make it...
This species primarily inhabits mature coniferous and mixed forests, particularly favoring hemlock, spruce, and fir stands, often at higher elevations in its breeding range.
The diet of the Blackburnian Warbler consists primarily of insects and spiders, including caterpillars, beetles, flies, and aphids, gleaned from foliage and bark; they occasionally consume berries or nectar on their wintering grounds.
Blackburnian Warblers are diurnal and intensely active, spending much of their time high in the forest canopy, often unseen except for glimpses of their brilliant plumage or their ethereal song. They are adept foragers, employing gleaning and hovering techniques to snatch insects from needles, le...
The Blackburnian Warbler has an extensive breeding range across eastern North America, spanning the boreal forests of Canada from eastern Saskatchewan eastward to the Maritimes, through the Great Lakes region, and extending southward along the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. During the...
Least Concern
- The male Blackburnian Warbler is often called the "fire-throated warbler" due to its incandescent orange plumage. - They primarily feed high in the canopy, often 15-30 meters (50-100 feet) above the forest floor. - Their high-pitched, buzzy song is one of the most distinctive and can be difficu...