MOURNING WARBLER
MOURNING WARBLER – (Geothlypis philadelphia) – (See images below)
DESCRIPTION: The Mourning Warbler breeding male has a grey head and throat. There is a black patch on the breast. The back, wings and tail are yellow-olive and the under parts yellow. In the female the grey of the head and throat is replaced by a brownish-grey. The bill is yellow and the legs pink. The overall length of this warbler is around 12 cm (5 inches).
VOICE: https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Geothlypis-philadelphia
NAME: The English name ‘Mourning’ stems from the appearance of this warbler (mourning veil). Warblers are thus called thanks to their generally melodious songs. The Latin genus name ‘Geothlypis’ refers to the ground habitat of a small bird of some kind.
HABITAT: Wet lowland areas, dense shrub thickets.
DIET: Hops on the ground and in low-lying vegetation in search of insects, from which the bird removes wings and legs before consuming. Feeds on berries in the winter.
NESTING: Nests on the ground in dense shrubs. Between two and four white eggs are laid, incubated by the female. Chicks fed by both parents. They will use the ‘broken wing’ strategy to try and lure potential predators away from the nest.
DISTRIBUTION: Breeding range covers the eastern half of southern Canada and the Great Lakes area. Can be found in much of the eastern half of the USA and Central America during migration. Winters in northern South America.
DISTRIBUTION MAP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mourning_warbler#/media/File:Oporornis_philadelphia_map.svg
ON PEI: Breeds on Prince Edward Island, fairly common in the spring and summer.
CONSERVATION: Declined in numbers over the last few decades, estimated at around 17 million. Not considered at risk currently. Benefits from disturbed forests.
SIMILAR SPECIES: Nashville Warbler
REFERENCES: https://www.borealbirds.org/bird/mourning-warbler
https://www.mba-aom.ca/jsp/toc.jsp (Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas)
https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/340/overview/Mourning_Warbler.aspx
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/mourning-warbler
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mourning_warbler
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Warbler/id
DESCRIPTION: The Mourning Warbler breeding male has a grey head and throat. There is a black patch on the breast. The back, wings and tail are yellow-olive and the under parts yellow. In the female the grey of the head and throat is replaced by a brownish-grey. The bill is yellow and the legs pink. The overall length of this warbler is around 12 cm (5 inches).
VOICE: https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Geothlypis-philadelphia
NAME: The English name ‘Mourning’ stems from the appearance of this warbler (mourning veil). Warblers are thus called thanks to their generally melodious songs. The Latin genus name ‘Geothlypis’ refers to the ground habitat of a small bird of some kind.
HABITAT: Wet lowland areas, dense shrub thickets.
DIET: Hops on the ground and in low-lying vegetation in search of insects, from which the bird removes wings and legs before consuming. Feeds on berries in the winter.
NESTING: Nests on the ground in dense shrubs. Between two and four white eggs are laid, incubated by the female. Chicks fed by both parents. They will use the ‘broken wing’ strategy to try and lure potential predators away from the nest.
DISTRIBUTION: Breeding range covers the eastern half of southern Canada and the Great Lakes area. Can be found in much of the eastern half of the USA and Central America during migration. Winters in northern South America.
DISTRIBUTION MAP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mourning_warbler#/media/File:Oporornis_philadelphia_map.svg
ON PEI: Breeds on Prince Edward Island, fairly common in the spring and summer.
CONSERVATION: Declined in numbers over the last few decades, estimated at around 17 million. Not considered at risk currently. Benefits from disturbed forests.
SIMILAR SPECIES: Nashville Warbler
REFERENCES: https://www.borealbirds.org/bird/mourning-warbler
https://www.mba-aom.ca/jsp/toc.jsp (Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas)
https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/340/overview/Mourning_Warbler.aspx
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/mourning-warbler
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mourning_warbler
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Warbler/id
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| Mourning warbler, PEI, Judy MacDonald |