Species

Bay-breasted warbler

Setophaga castanea

A chestnut-and-black warbler of spruce forests whose numbers follow budworm outbreaks.

At a glance

Key marks: Males with a chestnut crown, throat and sides and a black mask; autumn birds greenish with wing bars
Told apart from: Blackpoll warbler in autumn, which has yellow feet and streaked sides
Where to look: Treetops during migration

Bay-breasted warblers forage slowly in the middle of trees.

Bay-breasted warblers are closely tied to spruce budworm outbreaks in Canada, and their populations boom and bust with this forest pest.

Nest — A cup in a spruce
Eggs — Usually four to seven
Incubation — About 12 to 13 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — Several years

All autumn warblers are confusing. They are, but careful looks reveal each species.

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Recorded in 55 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

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