The Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
(Setophaga pinus)
Food:
Millet, cracked corn, sunflower seed, peanuts, suet, and Peanut butter
Feeder:
Elevated platform feeders, Suet feeders, and peanut butter bird feeders
Appearance:
Pine Warblers are long-tailed warblers with stout bills. The tip of the tail usually appears to have a central notch. Pine Warblers are yellowish birds with olive backs, whitish bellies, and two prominent white wing bars on gray wings. Adult males are the brightest; females and immatures are more subdued and can even appear gray-brown. Overall, Pine Warblers don’t show the strong patterns of other warblers, but the face can look weakly “spectacled,” with a pale eye ring connected to a pale stripe in front of the eye.
Information:
Most warblers leave the continental U.S. for winter, but the Pine Warbler stays in the Southeast and is one of the first to return northward in spring. It arrives as early as February in areas just north of the wintering range and may begin breeding by late April.
Pine Warblers typically forage and sing high in pine trees. Males are aggressive in the early breeding season. In winter Pine Warblers forage in mixed-species flocks, keeping a few feet of space between each other. Males establish breeding territories in late winter or spring, singing persistently and chasing intruders. Pine Warblers nearly always build their nests in pine trees, usually in pine or mixed pine-deciduous forests. Nests tend to be high in the tree and concealed among needles and cones. Both parents will perform broken-wing displays to lure predators away from the nest. After the young fledge, the warblers move around in family groups. The best way to find Pine Warblers is to narrow them down by habitat and voice. Head for a pine forest and then listen for a clear, steady, trilling song. Pine Warblers can be easily obscured by tufts of needles, but a bit of patience is likely to be rewarded.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the Pine Warbler. Since The Pine Warbler is the only warbler that eats large quantities of seeds. This seed-eating ability means Pine Warblers are likely to visit your bird feeders in your backyard if you live around pine trees. If you have any experience in attracting these beautiful wild birds, you can share it with everyone by leaving a comment below. Please share this blog post with your friends and family who have a love for backyard birding.
David