Black-throated Green Warbler

Overview

The black-throated green warbler is a small songbird classified within the New World warbler family. It is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Olive-green crown, back, and wings with white wing bars, contrasted by a yellow face with olive markings.
• Pale underparts featuring black streaks on the flanks; adult males possess a black throat and upper breast, while females and immature males have a pale throat with black breast markings.
• Small in size, measuring 11–12 cm in length with a thin, pointed bill.
• Song described as a buzzed 'zee-zee-zee-zooo-zeet' or 'zoo-zee-zoo-zoo-zeet', accompanied by a sharp 'tsip' call.

Habitat

Breeding occurs in coniferous and mixed forests across eastern North America and western Canada, as well as in cypress swamps along the southern Atlantic coast, with a preference for dense conifer stands. The species migrates to Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and southern Florida, with occasional records from as far south as Ecuador.

Diet

These birds forage actively in vegetation, often gleaning by hovering or hawking to catch insects in flight. Insects constitute the main part of their diet, though they occasionally consume berries.

Did you know?

This species is vulnerable to nest parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird and has been known to hybridise with the congeneric Townsend's warbler where their ranges overlap in the Rocky Mountains.