Kirtland's Warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii)

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A Field Guide to Warblers of North America (The Peterson Field Guide Series). by Kimball L. Garrett, Jon L. Dunn, Cindy House (Illustrator)

Warblers of Eastern North America

Kirtland's Warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii)

Identification: 4.75 inches from tip of bill to tip of tail.

Breeding Male: The back is blue-gray with strong black streaks. The eye is surrounded by a broken white eye ring and a vague black line runs through it. The region between the bill and eye (lore) is solid black. The throat, breast and belly are bright yellow with conspicuous black streaks along the sides.

Female: Similar to the male, but the back has a slightly brown tint and the side of the head around the eye is grayer.The region between the bill and eye is gray. The female is, in general, duller than the male.

Fall Male and Female: The fall male and fall female are identical to their breeding counterparts.

Immature: The immature resembles the female.

Similar Species: Kirtland's Warbler might be mistaken for the Prairie Warbler, particularly the female and immature. However Kirtland's Warbler has a distinctive broken white eye ring absent in the Prairie Warbler. Adult Kirtland's Warblers lack yellow patches on the side of the head and do not have a light line over the eye. The immature of the Prairie Warbler lacks dark brown streaks along its back.

Breeding Range (see map below): The breeding range of Kirtland's Warbler is restricted to a few stands of Jack Pine in north-central Michigan.

Overwintering Range: Kirtland's Warbler overwinters in the Bahamas.

Habitat: Kirtland's Warbler is found only in dense, young stands of Jack Pine.

Food: Insects.

Behavior: The song is low pitched, described as bubbling, and rises toward the end of the song.

Reproduction: The nest is constructed of strips of bark and other fibers lined with grass and pine needles. The nest is on the ground. The clutch consists of 3 to 6 eggs, usually 4. Incubation time is about 14 days with fledging occurring about 12 days after hatching.

Notes: Kirtland's Warbler is the rarest North American Warbler (Bachman's Warbler is probably extinct). The species breeds only in a few Jack Pine stands in north-central Michigan. These Jack Pine stands are formed after fire in the transitional forest of the region. The warblers will abandon the Jack Pine stands once the trees reach 20 feet or more. Controlled burning is now being used to maintain and create habitat for the Kirtland's Warbler.