Cape May Warbler

Cape May Warbler, male, breeding plumage, May

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Cape May Warbler, 1st fall female

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

The Cape May Warbler breeds across the boreal forest of Canada and the northern United States, where the fortunes of its populations are largely tied to the availability of spruce budworms, its preferred food. Striking in appearance but poorly understood, the species spends its winters in the West Indies, collecting nectar with its unique curled, semitubular tongue.

Description

• Small songbird.
• Yellow chest with thin black stripes.
• Reddish and yellow face.
• Pale sides of neck contrast with darker face.
• Wingbars.
• Yellowish rump.

• Size: 12-13 cm (5-5 in)
• Wingspan: 19-22 cm (7-9 in)
• Weight: 9-12 g (0.32-0.42 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male bright yellow with chestnut cheeks and white wing patches. Female duller and without chestnut face or white wing patches.

Sound

Song a thin, high-pitched note repeated four to eight times. Call note is a high chip.

Conservation Status

Use of certain combinations of insecticides to control spruce budworms causes steep declines in Cape May Warbler numbers. Other pesticides may have no effect. Logging, especially in the western portion of the species' range, may eventually pose risks to the Cape May Warbler because of reduced availability of the mature forests needed to support spruce budworms.

Other Names

Paruline tigrée (French)
Renita tigre (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The tongue of the Cape May Warbler is unique among warblers. It is curled and semitubular, and is used to collect nectar during winter.
• The common name of the species comes from Cape May, New Jersey, where Alexander Wilson first described it. After that first time, Cape May Warblers were not recorded in Cape May for more than 100 years.

• The average clutch size of the Cape May Warbler (six) is greater than that of other warblers. This large clutch size may allow Cape May Warbler populations to expand rapidly during outbreaks of their preferred prey, spruce budworms.

• The nest of the Cape May Warbler was not accurately described until the early 20th century.

Sources used to construct this page:

Baltz, M. E., and S. C. Latta. 1998. Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina). In The Birds of North America, No. 332 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.