From Best Dressed to Class Clown, These 15 Birds Own Their Spring Migrant Superlatives

Depending on your teenage years, the mere mention of superlatives could either bring back fond memories or resurrect deeply buried trauma. Either way, forget about all that—these superlatives are nothing like those. Except for having the same titles. And you might have strong opinions about the choices. But hey, at least they're about birds and feelings aren't at stake.  

Why give spring migrants superlatives? Well, why not? If you've been observing birds long enough, you start to see clear patterns around spring migration, both in the birds themselves and the people chasing them: when certain species pass through; which birds get people the most excited; and how distinct field marks, behaviors, and songs comes to define a species. Taken together, that's more than enough fodder for some superlative action. 

So let’s get to it. And in case it wasn't already clear, this list has been created by yours truly based on my own opinions and observations from a lifetime of birding. Also, save for one pick, I chose to focus on neotropical migrants here, as those are the birds most people get excited for during migration. Oh, one last thing: This list is just about as egregious as anthropomorphizing gets, but let's ignore that for now and just have some fun. Yeah? Great. 
 

Most Popular: Scarlet Tanager (above) 

We're starting out with a big one here. There are numerous S-tier contenders for Most Popular, and experienced birders might understandably go with highly desirable species like Cerulean or Blackburnian Warbler. But the Scarlet Tanager's vivid red plumage against its jet-black wings and tail makes it a real stunner that is hugely popular with new and veteran birders alike. Its size and coloration can also make it a bit easier for folks to spot, even high up in the canopy. Any day you see a Scarlet is a good day, indeed.

Runners-up: Cerulean Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Prothonotary Warbler

Best Dressed: Black-throated Blue Warbler

This choice might be the most contentious; everyone has their favorite plumage combos. Unlike in high school, though, I decided this award shouldn't go to the bird wearing the trendiest or loudest wardrobe. Instead, I'm making this superlative about something else: taste. The male Black-throated Blue's color scheme is undeniably chic, but males and females both exhibit an extra level of refinement with a perfect patch of white on their wings, referred to as their "handkerchief." 

Runners-up: Magnolia Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Canada Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler 
 

Most Musical: Wood Thrush

Our first no-brainer on this list. When your song is described as "flute like" in every bird guide, it's impossible not to take this category. Wood Thrushes—along with most of the thrush family—are highly skilled singers thanks to special muscles around their voice box, called a syrinx. But as anyone who has heard a Wood Thrush's mystical tune carrying across eastern woods knows, no other species compares. This bird has even inspired composers. That said, the runners-ups here are all very talented and fun to listen to as well. 

Runners-up: Swainson's Thrush, Veery, Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird  

Best Song: Baltimore Oriole

If Most Musical is more about sheer talent and range, this category—which, admittedly, I made up for this list—is all about the tune itself. An ear worm, if you will. The Baltimore Oriole's cheery, full-throated serenade is a hallmark of spring migration, immediately stopping birders in their tracks and bringing a smile to the most winter-hardened faces. It usually only takes a few seconds after hearing the bird's clear whistle to spot a bright-orange male bopping from bough to bough in a nearby tree. Not far away you'll likely also find a yellowish-orange female. 

Runners-up: Rose-breasted Grosbeak, White-throated Sparrow, Summer Tanager, Indigo Bunting
 

Most Talkative: Warbling Vireo

Plenty of spring migrants could take this title, but what gave the Warbling Vireo the edge for me—aside from the chatty Gray Catbird winning another award lower below—is just how long it will go on rambling. Doesn't matter if it's the eastern or western version; you can pass under a singing Warbling Vireo, come back to the same tree hours later, and that same bird will still be going strong. It just has so much to say—all of the time.

Runners-up: Gray Catbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, House Wren, Red-eyed Vireo 

Teacher’s Pet: Ovenbird

Okay, maybe this choice is too on the nose: The bird literally yells teacher, teacher, teacher! I'm sticking by it, though, for no other reason than the fact that I love these tiny brown orbs and their orange-striped heads. But if we need another reason, during migration, Ovenbirds are especially accommodating and eager to please, hopping around on the ground in plain view.  When they are perched like statues and singing, however, don't even try finding them.  

Runners-up: White-throated Sparrow, Black-and-white Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 
 

Friendliest: Black-and-white Warbler

The other no-brainer on this list. Black-and-whites are easy to spot with their zebra-striped plumage, can be found everywhere during migration (I regularly see them on New York City street trees), and unlike most warblers, will happily get within feet of  you while they busily forage at eye-level. In fact, this bird is so friendly and agreeable that folks in Audubon's Slack know it by a different name: The People's Warbler. 

Runners-up:  White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow 

Shyest: Mourning Warbler

Here's something that has happened to me multiple times over the years: Someone spots a Mourning Warbler nearby, maybe even just a few feet from where I am also birding.  And yet, despite the best efforts of myself and others, the bird is never seen again, disappearing into the shadows as stealthily as it appeared. Yep, this skulky little lord of the shrubs was a shoo-in here. 

Runners-up: Swainson's Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Yellow-billed/Black-billed Cuckoo 

Class Clown: American Woodcock

Any other time of year, American Woodcocks are relatively elusive and low key. But during spring migration, these odd-looking birds can pop up anywhere—see this season's buzz over Bryant Park's bogsuckers—and quickly become the center of attention, a requisite for any class clown. Throw in their funky dance moves (believed to be a method of foraging) and acrobatic mating displays, and yeah, this bird is pure entertainment. 

Runners-up: Gray Catbird, Common Yellowthroat, House Wren, Eastern/Spotted Towhee 
 

Most Creative: Northern Parula

This one was harder than I expected. Painted Bunting and Painted Redstart seemed obvious at first, but their names and plumage, though apt and striking, don't have anything to do with actually being creative. Nest building does, though, and the Northern Parula takes a particularly creative approach: Industrious females construct hanging nests by repurposing a dense clump of Spanish or beard moss. The end result is a perfectly camouflaged, cozy abode. 

Runners-up: Baltimore Oriole, Anna's Hummingbird, Ovenbird, Barn Swallow 

Cutest Couple:  American Redstart

Nothing says spring migration like your first-of-year American Redstart. But as much as I love the male's blaze-orange highlights against its black body feathers and white belly, I absolutely adore the female's coordinating golden patches and subtler gray plumage. Taken together, the two make an undeniably attractive and fun duo as they flycatch about and flamboyantly fan their tails to stir up insects. 

Runners-up: Black-throated Blue Warbler, Painted Bunting, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee

Most Likely to Succeed (at Breeding): Gray Catbird 

I had to give this classic superlative a twist, and I'm going with the objectively excellent catbird here for three reasons. First, they have two to three clutches a year, drastically upping their odds of having a successful breeding season. Second is their amazing ability to identify and remove Brown-headed Cowbird eggs from their nest, ensuring the brood parasite's chicks won't outcompete their own for food. And third, per Christmas Bird Count data, their population has been steadily rising since the 1980s. Clearly they're doing something right. 

Runners-up: American Redstart, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, American Woodcock 
 

Most Athletic: Ruby-throated Hummingbird

A shorebird might be the right choice here (I see you, Bar-tailed Godwit), but the Ruby-throated Hummingbird's epic spring journey from Mexico or Central America to the eastern United States—sometimes even crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a single go—boggles the mind. After all, these birds weigh as much as a penny, flap their wings at least 50 times a second, and cover more than 2,000 miles in just a couple of weeks. And they do it all while having to constantly refuel their little bodies. True athletes, Ruby-throats. 

Runners-up: Bar-tailed Godwit, Red Knot, Blackpoll Warbler, Swainson's Thrush 
 

Most Likely to Miss Graduation Migration: Blackpoll Warbler 

You know spring migration is winding down when you begin to hear the Blackpoll’s high-pitched squeaks emanating from the treetops. These black-capped, orange-legged migration stragglers peak mid to late May and can even extend into June. Traveling from northern South America, they take their time in the spring, stopping over in the West Indies and Florida and eventually landing in Canada's boreal forest. In the fall, however, the birds take a much speedier route, making the longest migration of any warbler by winging their way south across the entire Atlantic in one epic, non-stop flight. 

Runners-up: Willow Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and Red-eyed Vireo 
 

Best All-Around: Rose-breasted Grosbeak

The male Rose-breasted Grosbeak truly has it all. Popular? Very. Beautiful? Oh yeah. A lovely song? No doubt. And the best part? These are feeder birds! This species, while admittedly a tough-to-see canopy denizen most of the time, will occasionally stop by feeders during migration as long as the right seed is available. Just be sure to also keep an eye out for the female, who is mostly brown with a bold white eyebrow and often mistaken for a female Purple Finch.  

Runners-up: Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Magnolia Warbler