Migratory Status: Neotropical migrant
PIF Population Estimate: 
32 000 000
Percent of western hemisphere population breeding in boreal forest: 77%
BAM Effective Detection Radius (m) : 60.62
PIF Maximum Detection Distance (m) : 125
Canadian BBS Population trend: 1.2 (0.3 to 2.1)
Life History
The male Magnolia Warbler is easily distinguished from other wood warblers by the distinct yellow breast, black necklace with vertical streaking, gray cap, black mask extending on to hindneck and back, and prominent white wing panel. Females are slightly duller in appearance, but retain most of the plumage characteristics of males.
The breeding range of the Magnolia Warbler extends over most of the southern boreal forest, from western Newfoundland to east-central British Columbia and the southern Mackenzie District. The breeding range also includes forests in the Great Lakes region, extending south into high elevation forests in Western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. The winter range includes most of the larger islands in the Greater Antilles (Caribbean), as far east as the Virgin Islands. The species also winters throughout southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and much of Central America.
Throughout the breeding range, the Magnolia Warbler is most often associated with dense second-growth or understory conifer trees in stands of pure coniferous or mixed forest. On the wintering grounds, the species occupies a wide range of habitats up to 1,500 m elevation.
The Magnolia Warbler is largely insectivorous during the breeding season, with lepidopteran (butterfly and moth) larvae representing the dominant prey item. As a result, the species is known to benefit during large irruptions of spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana). It often gleans insects from the undersides of coniferous and broad-leaved vegetation.
The primary song of the Magnolia Warbler is a highly distinctive series of phrases that has been paraphrased as “wheeta-wheeta-wheeteo”, though slight variations do exist across the breeding range. The song often has a ventriloquistic quality, often making it difficult to pinpoint the exact location of singing birds.
Reference(s)
Hall, G. A. 1994. Magnolia Warbler (Dendroica magnolia), The Birds of North America, No. 136. A. Poole and F. Gill, eds. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists's Union, Washington, D.C.
