Wildlife Clinic

Species

Canada warbler

Cardellina canadensis

A grey warbler with a yellow breast and a necklace of black streaks, passing through Georgia on migration.

A male Canada warbler perched in a hemlock, blue-grey above with yellow spectacles, a yellow throat and belly and a necklace of black streaks across the breast.

Photo Matt Felperin (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size
About 12 to 15 cm long
Weight
About 9 to 13 g
Habitat
Dense undergrowth in moist forests
Diet
Insects
In Georgia
An uncommon migrant; a few nest in the high mountains
Voice
A jumbled, rapid song
Rabies vector
No

Identification

Key marks
Grey back; yellow underparts; necklace of black streaks; white eye-ring
Told apart from
Magnolia warbler, which has a white tail band
Where to look
Dense undergrowth during migration

Behaviour

Canada warblers forage low in dense cover and catch insects in flight.

Why they matter

Canada warblers have declined steeply and depend on moist forests with dense undergrowth.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A cup on or near the ground
Eggs — Usually four
Incubation — About 12 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

  • Window strikes are common on migration.

Misconceptions

  • It lives only in Canada. It nests south to the Appalachians.

Related species

Seasonal activity

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

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
BreedingJan: noFeb: noMar: noApr: noMay: noJun: noJul: noAug: noSep: noOct: noNov: noDec: no
Active nestsJan: noFeb: noMar: noApr: noMay: noJun: noJul: noAug: noSep: noOct: noNov: noDec: no
NotesIn South AmericaIn South AmericaIn South AmericaIn South AmericaMigrants; a few nesting in the high mountainsNestingYoung fledgingMigratingMigrantsLast migrantsIn South AmericaIn South America

Where it lives

Recorded in 58 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

If you found one

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