Canada Warbler    Wilsonia canadensis

Migratory Status: Neotropical migrant

PIF Population Estimate: 1 400 000

Percent of western hemisphere population breeding in boreal forest: 64%

BAM Effective Detection Radius (m) : 61.74

PIF Maximum Detection Distance (m) : 100

Canadian BBS Population trend: -2.2 (-4.3 to -0.1)

Life History

The bright and charismatic Canada Warbler is one of the most striking members of the wood warbler family in North America. In most plumages, the Canada Warbler is easily identified by slate-grey upperparts, black spotted upper breast or necklace, and bright yellow underparts. The combination of a distinct eye ring and prominent supraloral (i.e., located above the space between the eye and bill) stripe give the appearance of spectacles and is perhaps one of the species’ best known plumage traits.

The breeding range extends over most of the southern boreal forest, from north-eastern British Columbia and the Liard Valley of the Northwest Territories, to northern Nova Scotia. The breeding range also includes much of the Great Lakes transition forests, the forested regions of the northeastern United States, and high elevations of the Appalachian Mountains to northeast Georgia. The distribution on the wintering grounds includes Venezuela and Colombia south through eastern Ecuador to central Peru, but has been recorded occasionally north to Costa Rica.

The song of the Canada Warbler is one of the most clear, distinct, and loud of all of the wood warblers in North America. The typical song consists of a clear introductory note, followed by an explosive series of notes that vary highly in cadence and pitch. An often used paraphrase for this confusing song is “chip ditchety, see witchety”.

The Canada Warbler employs a wide range of foraging techniques in order to capture prey, including fly-catching, sallying, and gleaning on a variety of substrates. Prey items taken are mostly winged insects, including orders such as Culicidae (i.e., mosquitoes), Diptera (i.e., flies), Lepidoptera (i.e., butterflies and moths) and Coleoptera (i.e., beetles).

Reference(s)

Conway, C. J. 1999. Canada Warbler (Wilsonia canadensis), The Birds of North America, No. 421. A. Poole and F. Gill, eds. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists's Union, Washington, D.C.