Species
Magnolia warbler
Setophaga magnolia
A boldly marked black-and-yellow warbler with a white tail band, common on migration.
Photo Matt Felperin (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 11 to 13 cm long
- Weight
- About 6 to 15 g
- Habitat
- Young conifers in the north; any woods on migration
- Diet
- Insects
- In Georgia
- A common migrant
- Voice
- A short, musical "weeta-weeta-weetee"
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Yellow throat and underparts with black streaks; grey cap; black mask; white band across the middle of the tail
- Told apart from
- Yellow-rumped warbler, which has a white throat
- Where to look
- Shrubs and low trees during migration
Behaviour
Magnolia warblers forage low and fan their tails to show the white band.
Why they matter
Named by Alexander Wilson from a bird found in a magnolia tree on migration, this warbler nests in young conifer forests in the north.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Nest — A loose cup in a young conifer
Eggs — Usually three to five
Incubation — About 11 to 13 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — Several years
Living around people
- Window strikes are common on migration.
Misconceptions
- It nests in magnolias. It nests in northern conifers.
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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | In Central America | In Central America | In Central America | Migrating north | Migrants | Nesting in the north | Nesting | Migrating | Migrants | Last migrants | In Central America | In Central America |
Where it lives
Recorded in 61 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
- Alabamapassing through
- Arkansaspassing through
- California
- Connecticutbreeding
- Delawarepassing through
- District of Columbiapassing through
- Floridain winter
- Georgiapassing through
- Illinoispassing through
- Indianapassing through
- Iowapassing through
- Kansaspassing through
- Kentuckypassing through
- Louisianapassing through
- Mainebreeding
- Marylandbreeding
- Massachusettsbreeding
- Michiganbreeding
- Minnesotabreeding
- Mississippipassing through
- Missouripassing through
- Nebraskapassing through
- New Hampshirebreeding
- New Jerseypassing through
- New Yorkbreeding
- North Carolinapassing through
- North Dakotapassing through
- Ohiopassing through
- Oklahomapassing through
- Pennsylvaniabreeding
- Rhode Islandpassing through
- South Carolinapassing through
- South Dakotapassing through
- Tennesseepassing through
- Texaspassing through
- Vermontbreeding
- Virginiapassing through
- West Virginiabreeding
- Wisconsinbreeding
Canada
If you found one
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