Blackpoll Warbler (Crum Woods Biodiversity Guide)

Blackpoll Warbler

Setophaga striata

Summary ⁴

The Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) is a New World warbler. Breeding males are mostly black and white. They have a prominent black cap, white cheeks and white wing bars. The Blackpoll breeds in northern North America, from Alaska, through most of Canada, and into the Great Lakes region and New England.

Setophaga striata ⁵

A medium-sized (5 inches) wood warbler, the male Blackpoll Warbler in summer is most easily identified by its gray body, streaked back and flanks, and black head with prominent white cheek patches. Female Blackpoll Warblers are dull gray overall with faint white eye-stripes. In fall and winter, both sexes become dull green-gray on the back and pale tan below. The Blackpoll Warbler primarily breeds across Alaska and north-central Canada. Smaller numbers breed in southeastern Canada, and isolated breeding populations exist in the mountains of New England and New York. The Blackpoll Warbler is a long-distance migrant, wintering in northern South America. Blackpoll Warblers breed in northern and high-mountain evergreen forests, particularly in areas where Black Spruce (Picea mariana) occurs. In winter, this species may be found primarily in humid tropical forests. Blackpoll Warblers mainly eat small invertebrates, including insects and spiders, although this species may eat fruits or berries while on migration. In appropriate habitat, Blackpoll Warblers may be observed foraging for food located on leaves, needles, and branches in the forest canopy. Birdwatchers may also listen for this species’ song, a high “zi” note repeated several times in quick succession. Blackpoll Warblers are primarily active during the day, but, like many migratory songbirds, this species migrates at night.

Habitat ⁶

Comments: Cool, wet boreal coniferous forest (primarily spruce), usually dominated by low trees; locally also mixed second growth, regenerating burns, peatlands, and alder thickets (AOU 1998). In migration in various forest, forest border, woodland, scrub, and brushy habitats (AOU 1983), clearings with scattered trees. In winter, mostly (exclusively?) on islands in and vegetation surrounding major rivers.

Nests usually are well hidden in small trees, to about 3 m above ground. Adults usually return to previously used breeding sites (Eliason 1986).

Iucn red list assessment ⁷

Red List Category

Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2012

Assessor/s

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s

Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Contributor/s

Justification

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History

Least Concern (LC)
Least Concern (LC)
Least Concern (LC)
Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)
Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)
Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)

Sources and Credits

(c) Joby Joseph, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/21815205@N00/2537249377
(c) Ken Schneider, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5189/5619545027_918934cdf8.jpg
(c) Tanya Dewey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/tanya_dewey/blacpollwarbler3/medium.jpg
Adapted by Amanda Carrillo-Perez from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setophaga_striata
(c) Smithsonian Institution, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/34818204
(c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28943626
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/34420040

More Info

Range Map

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