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Home/Species/ Black-throated Blue Warbler

Setophaga caerulescens

(Gmelin, 1789)

Black-throated Blue Warbler

G5Secure Found in 68 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103528
Element CodeABPBX03050
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyParulidae
GenusSetophaga
Synonyms
Dendroica caerulescens(Gmelin, 1789)
Other Common Names
black-throated blue warbler (EN) Chipe Azulnegro (ES) Paruline bleue (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Phylogenetic analyses of sequences of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA (Lovette et al. 2010) indicate that all species formerly placed in Dendroica, one species formerly placed in Wilsonia (citrina), and two species formerly placed in Parula (americana and pitiayumi) form a clade with the single species traditionally placed in Setophaga (ruticilla). The generic name Setophaga has priority for this clade (AOU 2011).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-09
Change Date1996-12-03
Edition Date2002-11-28
Edition AuthorsBowen, R.; revisions by D.W. Mehlman and S. Cannings
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Widespread and relatively abundant. No evidence of large-scale declines.
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: eastern Saskatchewan and southeastern Manitoba, from southwestern and central Ontario to Nova Scotia, south to northeastern Minnesota, central Michigan, southern Ontario, northeastern Ohio, in Appalachians from West Virginia to northern Georgia, New Jersey, and southern New England (Holmes 1994, AOU 1998). NON-BREEDING: almost exclusively in Greater Antilles on Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico; also in the Bahamas, Lesser Antilles to Trinidad, and the Caribbean coasts of the Yucatan, Belize, and Honduras; rare in southern Florida, northern Colombia, and northern Venezuela (Ridgely and Tudor 1989, Holmes 1994, AOU 1998).
Threat Impact Comments
Ranked by (Morton 1992) as "highly vulnerable" to continued tropical deforestation because of relatively small wintering range and social limitation (i.e., territoriality) of wintering population density. Reed (1992): given lowest possible conservation priority ranking (both breeding and wintering grounds), based on presumed low susceptibilty to extinction because of broad habitat specificity, wide geographic range, and existence of large populations.

PARASITISM: brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbird negligible or infrequent (Holmes and Sherry 1988, (Holmes et al. 1992, Holmes 1994).

Schmidt and Whelan (1999): for American Robin (TURDUS MIGRATORIUS) and Wood Thrush (HYLOCICHLA MUSTELINA) nesting in shrub layer of mixed deciduous forest, nest predation rate higher for nests built in exotic shrubs species (e.g., LONICERA MAACKII and RHAMNUS CATHARTICA) than for nests in native plant species, including some of the same plant substrates favored by BTBW (e.g., VIBURNUM, saplings of native trees).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

BREEDING: Understory of deciduous and mixed woodland, second growth, partially cleared forest. In New Hampshire, used shrubs for both nesting and foraging, but nest-site requirements appeared to be most important in determining habitat selection (Steele 1993). Nests in small tree, sapling, or shrub in dense undergrowth (e.g., hobblebush, mountain laurel, rhododendron), within about a meter of the ground.

NON-BREEDING: In migration in other forest types, open woodland, and scrub. In winter usually in dense forests in mountainous interiors of large islands, also in rich lowland forest (Jamaica, Lack 1976); in mature forest and shrubby second growth in Puerto Rico (Wunderle 1995).

Ecology

Defends winter territory (Holmes et al. 1989); commonly returns to same territory in successive years. Density in winter in Jamaica 10-40 individuals per 10 ha; density in breeding areas in New Hampshire was 8-14 per 10 ha (Holmes et al. 1989). In maple forests in Quebec, density averaged 0.4 pairs per ha (Darveau et al. 1992).

Reproduction

Eggs are laid mostly in May-June. Clutch size is three to five (usually four). Incubation, by female, lasts 12 days. Young are tended by both parents, leave nest at ten days. In New Hampshire, 14-50% of females successfully fledged two or more broods (one female fledged three broods; Holmes et al. 1992). Natural or artificial food reductions in north-temperate habitats may periodically reduce reproductive effort/output (Rodenhouse and Holmes 1992).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparral
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B
ProvinceRankNative
Nova ScotiaS5BYes
New BrunswickS5BYes
Prince Edward IslandS4BYes
QuebecS5BYes
OntarioS5BYes
SaskatchewanS2BYes
United StatesN5B
ProvinceRankNative
ConnecticutS5BYes
North DakotaSNAYes
IndianaSNAYes
TennesseeS4Yes
ArkansasSNAYes
Rhode IslandS1B,S3NYes
FloridaSNAYes
IllinoisSNAYes
MassachusettsS4BYes
MississippiSNAYes
VermontS5BYes
New YorkS5BYes
LouisianaSNAYes
KansasSNAYes
West VirginiaS3BYes
DelawareSNAYes
VirginiaS4Yes
MichiganS4Yes
PennsylvaniaS4B,S4MYes
MarylandS3BYes
New MexicoS4NYes
WyomingSNAYes
IowaSNAYes
District of ColumbiaS4NYes
New JerseyS3B,S4NYes
KentuckyS3BYes
South DakotaSNAYes
ArizonaS1MYes
ColoradoSNAYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
AlabamaSNAYes
New HampshireS5BYes
TexasS3Yes
South CarolinaS4Yes
MissouriSNAYes
North CarolinaS4BYes
WisconsinS3BYes
NebraskaSNRNYes
MinnesotaSNRBYes
MaineS5BYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (68)
Colorado (1)
AreaForestAcres
Red TableWhite River NF39,122
Michigan (2)
AreaForestAcres
FibreHiawatha National Forest7,432
Norwich Plains Revised Roadless AreaOttawa National Forest4,360
New Hampshire (9)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
KilkennyWhite Mountain National Forest28,766
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
North Carolina (17)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Barkers Creek (addition)Nantahala National Forest975
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Big Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest1,155
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Little Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest640
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Mackey MountainPisgah National Forest5,934
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
SnowbirdNantahala National Forest8,489
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Pennsylvania (3)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
Minister ValleyAllegheny National Forest1,417
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Puerto Rico (2)
AreaForestAcres
El Toro AreaCaribbean National Forest12,584
Mameyes AreaCaribbean National Forest11,150
Tennessee (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Utah (2)
AreaForestAcres
Mahogany RangeWasatch-Cache National Forest11,409
Mt. Logan NorthWasatch-Cache National Forest18,930
Vermont (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Devil's Den 09083Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests9,169
Virginia (16)
AreaForestAcres
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Little Wilson Creek Addition BJefferson National Forest1,725
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
Mountain Lake Addition AJefferson National Forest1,469
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Price MountainJefferson National Forest9,119
Raccoon BranchJefferson National Forest4,388
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
Three SistersGeorge Washington National Forest8,149
West Virginia (10)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
Tea Creek MountainMonongahela National Forest8,295
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