Setophaga pensylvanica
The Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) is a small, energetic New World warbler, measuring approximately 12-13 cm (4.7-5.1 inches) in length with a wingspan of 19-21 cm (7.5-8.3 inches) and weighing around 8-13 grams. Its most distinctive field marks are the bright yellow cap, brilliant chestnut flanks, and pristine white underparts, contrasting sharply with its black facial stripes and prominent white wing bars. Breeding males boast particularly striking black streaking on the ba...
This species primarily inhabits young deciduous forests, shrubby clearings, forest edges, and regenerating woodlands, typically at low to mid-elevations during the breeding season.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on caterpillars, beetles, flies, and spiders, gleaned methodically from foliage. In fall, they may supplement their diet with small berries.
Chestnut-sided Warblers are highly active, diurnal foragers, constantly moving through the mid-story and canopy of their preferred shrubby habitats. They employ a 'gleaning' foraging strategy, meticulously picking insects from the undersides of leaves and twigs, often hovering briefly to snatch p...
The Chestnut-sided Warbler breeds across a wide swath of eastern North America, from the southern Canadian provinces (eastern Manitoba to Nova Scotia) south through the Great Lakes states and New England, extending down the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. During the winter months, they...
Least Concern
- The Chestnut-sided Warbler's scientific name, *Setophaga pensylvanica*, means 'Pennsylvania moth-eater,' reflecting its diet and a region where it was first described. - Unlike many forest birds that suffered from deforestation, the Chestnut-sided Warbler thrived on the landscape changes, rapid...