Hooded Warbler

Overview

The hooded warbler (Setophaga citrina) is a small New World warbler that breeds in eastern North America and winters in Central America and the West Indies. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with populations that are stable or increasing in areas with protected woodlands.

Identification

• Small bird measuring 13 cm in length with a wingspan of 6.9 in.
• Plain olive-green back and yellow underparts.
• Males have a distinctive black hood surrounding the yellow face, while females have an olive-green cap that does not extend to the forehead.
• Song consists of musical notes described as "wheeta wheeta whee-tee-oh", with mnemonics like "The red, the red T-shirt".

Habitat

Breeding habitats consist of broadleaved woodlands with dense undergrowth across the eastern United States and into southernmost Canada. These birds are migratory, wintering in Central America and the West Indies, and are very rare vagrants to western Europe.

Diet

These birds feed on insects, often found in low vegetation or caught by flycatching.

Did you know?

Hooded warblers are often the victims of brood parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird, especially where their forest habitats are fragmented.