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Home/Species/ Blackburnian Warbler

Setophaga fusca

(Müller, 1776)

Blackburnian Warbler

G5Secure Found in 43 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104385
Element CodeABPBX03120
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 fusca(Müller, 1776)
Other Common Names
Blackburnian warbler (EN) Chipe Garganta Naranja (ES) Mariquita-Papo-de-Fogo (PT) Paruline à gorge orangée (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
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: central Saskatchewan and central Alberta east to Nova Scotia and southwestern Newfoundland, south to southern Manitoba, Great Lakes region, southern Appalachians (to Georgia), and southern New England (Morse 1994, AOU 1998). NON-BREEDING: mid-elevations from Costa Rica and Panama (rarely) south to Colombia and Venezuela and along slopes of Andes of Ecuador, Peru, and northwestern Bolivia (Morse 1994, AOU 1998). In South America, most common in Colombian Andes (Ridgely and Tudor 1989). Transient in eastern Mexico and northern Central America; accidental in Caribbean during migration.
Threat Impact Comments
HABITAT: Loss of tropical broad-leaved forests in the wintering areas in South America poses a significant threat. Diamond (1991) predicted (based on projections of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) that habitat area in 2000 would be only 66 percent of that available in 1985 due to logging and the conversion of forests to agriculture. Considered "highly vulnerable" to alterations of its winter habitat; included on a list of 45 long-distance migratory land birds most likely to suffer from such alterations (Petit et al. 1993, 1995). Reforestation of cleared areas with non-native tree species which are avoided by wintering birds is a special concern (De La Zerda Lerner and Stauffer 1998). PREDATION: Nest predators include red squirrels (TAMIASCIURUS HUDSONICUS) and blue jays (CYANOCITTA CRISTATA), but these do not seem to control populations (Stewart and Aldrich 1952). PARASITISM: Brown-headed cowbird (MOLOTHRUS ATER) parasitism not likely a significant limiting factor (Morse 1994).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

BREEDING: Coniferous (primarily balsam fir or hemlock) and mixed forest, open woodland, second growth. In Upper Michigan, breeds in natural, older age (60-167 years old), pole, and sawlog size-class stands on mesic upland sites, with canopy closure averaging 80 percent and basal area of conifer trees about three times greater than that of hardwoods (Doepker et al. 1992). There may be some preference for red spruce over white spruce (Morse 1976). Tall trees are important; birds seldom nest in forests without substantial vegetation over 18 meters (Morse 1971, 1976). Loss of forest canopy in the black spruce-Fraser fir forest on Mount Mitchell, North Carolina, from 1959 to 1985 correlated with warbler disappearance (Adams and Hammond 1991). Nests on horizontal branch of conifer, well out from trunk, in site well concealed by foliage or lichen, 2-24 meters above ground.

NON-BREEDING: In migration in various forest, woodland, scrub, and thicket habitats (AOU 1983). In winter, forests and woodlands of mountain slopes; forest canopy and edge, semi-open areas, tall second growth (Stiles and Skutch 1989). De La Zerda Lerner and Stauffer (1998) report a preference for dense trees, shrubs, and snags, with use of both large forest fragments and small or linear patches, but not solitary trees in pastures or non-native pine plantations. Birds were observed most commonly in the upper third of tree canopies.

Ecology

In a study in Maine, appeared to depress numbers of black-throated green warblers (DENDROICA VIRENS) where they coexisted (Morse 1976). Usually solitary in winter but may join mixed flocks (Stiles and Skutch 1989, Ridgely and Tudor 1989).

Reproduction

Eggs laid mostly late May to June. Clutch size four to five (usually four). Incubation about 11-12 days, by female. Young tended by both parents.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralOld field
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS5BYes
Nova ScotiaS4B,S5MYes
OntarioS5BYes
Prince Edward IslandS5BYes
ManitobaS5BYes
SaskatchewanS4BYes
New BrunswickS5BYes
LabradorS1B,SUMYes
Island of NewfoundlandS2B,SUMYes
AlbertaS2BYes
United StatesN5B
ProvinceRankNative
South DakotaSNAYes
New HampshireS5BYes
MinnesotaSNRBYes
IowaS3NYes
LouisianaSNAYes
NebraskaSNRNYes
ArkansasSNAYes
MassachusettsS4BYes
AlabamaSNRMYes
North DakotaSNAYes
KentuckyS1BYes
MississippiSNAYes
ConnecticutS5BYes
South CarolinaS3Yes
VirginiaS3BYes
North CarolinaS4BYes
OklahomaS2NYes
New YorkS5BYes
IllinoisSNAYes
TexasS3Yes
KansasSNAYes
MaineS5BYes
FloridaSNAYes
New JerseyS3B,S4NYes
WisconsinS4BYes
District of ColumbiaS3NYes
OhioS1Yes
TennesseeS3B,S4NYes
MissouriSNAYes
MarylandS3BYes
MichiganS5Yes
West VirginiaS3BYes
VermontS5BYes
Rhode IslandS1B,S1NYes
GeorgiaS4Yes
ColoradoSNAYes
DelawareSNAYes
New MexicoS4NYes
PennsylvaniaS4B,S4MYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (43)
Georgia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
New Hampshire (11)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Dartmouth RangeWhite Mountain National Forest9,233
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
JobildunkWhite Mountain National Forest3,660
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
Mt. Wolf - Gordon PondWhite Mountain National Forest11,846
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
WatervilleWhite Mountain National Forest4,312
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
North Carolina (5)
AreaForestAcres
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Hearts ContentAllegheny National Forest221
Tennessee (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Virginia (12)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Laurel ForkGeorge Washington National Forest9,967
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Raccoon BranchJefferson National Forest4,388
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
West Virginia (9)
AreaForestAcres
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Laurel ForkMonongahela National Forest1,172
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
Tea Creek MountainMonongahela National Forest8,295
Turkey MountainMonongahela National Forest6,421
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