Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina)

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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

Photo: Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina)

Identification: 4.25 inches from tip of bill to tip of tail.

Breeding Male: The breeding male is a distinctive yellow color with black stripes. The head has a black crown and a yellow face. There is a rusty-red patch about the eye with a black line through the eye. The back is olive-brown with prominent black stripes. The throat has a blackish suffusion. The breast and sides are bright yellow with contrasting black lines and the belly is white. Wing bars are present, but diffuse. The rump has a yellow patch just before the tail.

Female: The breeding female is much duller than the male. The black crown is absent as is the rusty-red patch around the eye. The back is olive-brown as is the top of the head, and both have vague black stripes. The head has a yellow stripe above the eye and a vague black stripe running through the eye. There is a diffuse yellow patch on the rump. The throat, breast, and sides are dull yellow with black, dotted, diffuse black lines. The belly is dull white.

Fall Male and Female: The fall male and female resemble the breeding female.

Immature: The immature is similar to the fall male and female, but slightly duller.

Similar Species: The breeding male is distinctive with the rusty-red patch about the eye, black crown, and black striped breast and sides. The only species it might be confused with is the Magnolia Warbler. However, the top of the Magnolia Warbler is black or gray, not olive-brown. The Magnolia Warbler has a white stripe above the eye and also has a black, triangular patch about the eye. The immature has a dull yellow rump. Several other warbler immatures have a yellow rump patch. The Yellow-rumped warbler is browner and lacks a dull, black streak through the eye. The Yellow Warbler and Magnolia Warbler lack dark streaks on the back.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Cape May Warbler breeds in the Northern Boreal Forest as far west as eastern British Columbia and southern Northwest Territories. In the south it barely reaches the transitional forest in the northeastern United States.

Overwintering Range: American tropics.

Habitat: The Cape-May Warbler is found in open spruce forests, although during the spring and autumn migrations it occurs in a variety of wooded habitats.

Food: Insects.

Behavior: The song is 4 or more high, thin notes without any change in pitch or volume.

Reproduction: The nest is constructed of twigs and moss and lined with fur, feathers, and grass. The clutch consists of 4 or 5 white eggs with brown spots.

Notes: The Cape May Warbler is another inaptly name warbler species. Cape May is on the coast of New Jersey where the Cape May Warbler can be seen commonly duriing migration.