Illustration © David Allen Sibley.
Learn more about these drawings.
Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from
Lives of North American Birds
Adult male. Photo: Frode Jacobsen/Shutterstock
Cerulean Warbler
Setophaga cerulea
| Conservation status | Possibly threatened or endangered. Surveys show strongly declining numbers in recent years. Nesting efforts may fail because of increasing cowbird parasitism in smaller patches of forest. May also be losing wintering habitat in tropics. |
|---|---|
| Family | Wood Warblers |
| Habitat | Deciduous forests, especially in river valleys. Breeds in mature hardwoods either in uplands or along streams. Prefers elm, soft maple, oak, birch, hickory, beech, basswood, linden, sycamore, or black ash. Nests only in tall forest with clear understory. In winter in tropics, found mostly in forest and woodland borders in foothills and lower slopes. |
Photo Gallery
Feeding Behavior
Forages mostly high in trees, moving rapidly from limb to limb, searching among foliage and twigs for insects. Also flies out to catch flying insects in mid-air. In winter in the tropics, scattered individuals forage with mixed flocks, ranging from low to high in the trees.
Eggs
3-5, usually 4. Gray or creamy off-white, with spots of brown. Incubation by female only, probably 12-13 days. Apparently does not often host cowbird eggs where it can nest in unbroken mature forest, but may be parasitized more frequently in forest fragments. Young: Both parents feed the nestlings. Age at which the young leave the nest is not well known.
Young
Both parents feed the nestlings. Age at which the young leave the nest is not well known.
Diet
Insects. The diet is not well known; undoubtedly feeds mostly or entirely on insects, like most warblers. Has been observed feeding on caterpillars.
Nesting
Males arrive on breeding grounds near the middle of May. Nesting behavior has been little studied, owing to the difficulty of observing the nests. Nest: Placed on horizontal branch of hardwood, far from trunk and usually high, 15-90' up in tree. Favors oak, maple, basswood, elm, hickory, sycamore, beech, or tulip trees. Nest is a small, shallow open cup (probably built by female), made of bark strips, grasses, weeds, spider silk, and lichen; lined with moss and hair.
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- All Seasons - Common
- All Seasons - Uncommon
- Breeding - Common
- Breeding - Uncommon
- Winter - Common
- Winter - Uncommon
- Migration - Common
- Migration - Uncommon
Songs and Calls
Series of short buzzy notes, followed by a higher-pitched buzz.How Climate Change Will Reshape the Range of the Cerulean Warbler
Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect this bird’s range in the future.
Zoom in to see how this species’s current range will shift, expand, and contract under increased global temperatures.
Climate threats facing the Cerulean Warbler
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
Cerulean Warbler In the News More News
From Audubon Magazine
When Female Birds Are Overlooked, Conservation Suffers
Ornithologists are trying to correct biases and misguided assumptions that can undermine environmental efforts and scientific knowledge.
Climate
Virginia Becomes Climate Leader in Southeast Passing Historic Clean Economy Act
The 100% clean energy standard legislation gives birds and people of Virginia a “fighting chance against climate change.”
Press Room
Clean Energy Standard Legislation in Virginia “Shows Growing Demand” for Climate Solutions Nationwide
Audubon celebrates bill to decarbonize Virginia’s electric grid and set a 100% clean energy target as meaningful step toward reducing harmful emissions.
Cerulean Warbler Across Audubon
Eastern Forests
Full-lifecycle conservation for seven priority species along the Atlantic Flyway
