Tennessee Warbler    Vermivora peregrina

Migratory Status: Neotropical migrant

PIF Population Estimate: 62 000 000

Percent of western hemisphere population breeding in boreal forest: 97%

BAM Effective Detection Radius (m) : 69.23

PIF Maximum Detection Distance (m) : 125

Canadian BBS Population trend: -0.5 n.s. (-5.2 to 4.3)

Life History

The Tennessee Warbler has possibly the dullest plumage of any of the North American wood warblers, though it is perhaps this plainness that makes the species somewhat distinct. In males, the crown and nape are pale gray, contrasting with greenish upperparts and pale underparts. Both sexes can also be distinguished by a dark, narrow eye-stripe and prominent pale eye brow.

The breeding range of the Tennessee Warbler perhaps best approximates the forested portions of the North American boreal forest than any other nearctic-neotropical migrant. The breeding range extends from western Newfoundland to west-central British Columbia, southeast Yukon and the Mackenzie District. The winter range includes southern Mexico, Central America and northwestern South America, occurring as far south as northern Ecuador. It occurs in low numbers on the largest islands in the western Caribbean and is largely a transient to other islands in the West Indies.

The Tennessee Warbler is perhaps one of the best known of the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) specialists. It can increase in density as much as tenfold during epidemic outbreaks. The ability of the species to track outbreaks often leads to high annual variation both spatially and temporally, making it a difficult species to systematically monitor.

Throughout its breeding range, the Tennessee Warbler is highly ubiquitous and is often one of the most abundant species. Although highly abundant, very little work has been done on this species during the breeding season, so aspects of its breeding biology remain poorly understood. Occurring across the full spectrum of habitat types, including deciduous, coniferous and mixed stands, there are few habitats that this species actually avoids.}[The Tennessee Warbler feeds almost exclusively on lepidopteran (butterfly and moth) larvae during the breeding season, but has been known to consume other invertebrates, fruit and nectar at other times of the year. The male sings a loud and repetitive song that consists of three distinct phrases uttered in rapid succession, with the last of these sounding much like a pulsating impact lawn sprinkler.

Reference(s)

Rimmer, C. C., and K. P. McFarland. 1998. Tennessee Warbler (Vermivora peregrina), The Birds of North America, No. 350. A. Poole and F. Gill, eds. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists's Union, Washington, D.C.