Mourning Warbler
Encyclopedia
The Mourning Warbler, Oporornis philadelphia, is a small songbird
of the New World warbler
family.
These 13 cm long birds have yellow underparts, olive-green upperparts and pink legs. Adult males have a grey hood and a black patch on the throat and breast. Females and immatures are grey-brown on the head with an incomplete eye-ring.
Their breeding habitat is thickets and semi-open areas with dense shrubs across Canada
east of the Rockies
and the northeastern United States
. The nest is an open cup placed on the ground in a well-concealed location under thick shrubs or other vegetation.
These birds migrate
to Central America
and northern South America
.
They forage low in vegetation, sometimes catching insects in flight. These birds mainly eat insects, also some plant material in winter.
The song of this bird is a bright repetitive warble. The call is a sharp chip.
The "mourning" in this bird's name refers to the male's hood, thought to resemble a mourning veil.
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
of the New World warbler
New World warbler
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
family.
These 13 cm long birds have yellow underparts, olive-green upperparts and pink legs. Adult males have a grey hood and a black patch on the throat and breast. Females and immatures are grey-brown on the head with an incomplete eye-ring.
Their breeding habitat is thickets and semi-open areas with dense shrubs across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
east of the Rockies
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
and the northeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The nest is an open cup placed on the ground in a well-concealed location under thick shrubs or other vegetation.
These birds migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
to Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
They forage low in vegetation, sometimes catching insects in flight. These birds mainly eat insects, also some plant material in winter.
The song of this bird is a bright repetitive warble. The call is a sharp chip.
The "mourning" in this bird's name refers to the male's hood, thought to resemble a mourning veil.
External links
- Mourning Warbler Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Mourning Warbler - Oporornis philadelphia - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Mourning Warbler Information - South Dakota Birds and Birding