Northern Parula
(Setophaga americana)
Adult Female
Embedded Files
Present: Summer & Migration
Present: Summer & Migration
Visual Identification
Visual Identification
Male Adult
Female Adult
A small, gorgeous warbler with a cerulean back and a white belly. They have a yellow throat that has a slight bit of orange, in the males it is extensive and sometimes very dark. They have two white wing-bars and eye-arks, alongside with a green-orange patch in the middle of the back. Their tail has a blue top and a white bottom (with some gray patterns). They have a bicolored bill with black/dark gray on the top and yellow/orange on the bottom. Some fall adults may be washed and appear more green.
Voice
Voice
This is the churre-churee-chur-chi-chi-chi song of the Northern Parula. The Northern Parula makes this call while forging in the spring and summer.
Habitat
Habitat
Northern Parulas spend most of their time in wet woodland habitats with tall trees. This includes wet forest edge, riparian woodland, densely wooded suburbia, willow thickets, wooded ponds. Will occasionally be found in mature forests, even if they are dry.
Behavior
Behavior
Northern parulas like to forage very high to medium height in trees and rarely come lower. When they do it is for feather maintenance or drinking. They will not fan, flick, or wag their tails, and seem to avoid any unnecessary movement, including hover gleaning. They will however sing while foraging. While foraging they are quick and precise, usually targeting clumps of dead leaves and other insect rich places.
Comparisons
Comparisons
Nashville Warbler
The gray cap and swampy home of a Nashville Warbler may lead you to assume that they are a Parula, but note that Nashvilles spend most/all of their time on the ground. They also lack blue and orange. If you look closer you will also notice that Nashville Warblers also have a tiny rufous crest.
Bay-breasted Warbler
Bay-Breasted Warblers may look like northern parulas because of their dark rufous throats, gray backs, and white wing-bars (especially in fall). Note that Bay-Breasteds have a buffy underside and a gray back with streaking on the mantle.
Female Black-throated Blue Warbler
You might confuse a female Black-Throated Blue Warbler for a Northern Parula, but notice that they have a slight mask on their face and a slight off-white/gray “handkerchief” under their alula. They are also ground birds and tend to forage lower than Parulas.
Where and When to see them
Where and When to see them
They are most common at Glencarlyn Park.
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