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Our Colorful Songsters
Written By: William McReynolds - Highlands Plateau Audubon Society | Issue: May 2023 | Photograph By: Lorraine Emmins
Spring brings the return of avian glory to our woodlands.
Male Black-throated Blue Warbler
Part of the merriment of May locally is the return to Western North Carolina of migratory warblers. This large family of perching birds is noted for their small size, colorful plumage, and vociferous song.
There are 56 species of warblers in North America. Within this large family, males sport splashes of vivid yellow, blue, red, and green and the females tend to be drab olive. The male’s striking coloration helps him defend his territory and protect his mate with whom he might have two broods in one season. His bright plumage also signals to the female that he is mature and worth her attention.
Warblers are insectivores that hunt on the branches, trunks and leaves for bugs and worms. They are more easily heard than seen. Occupying their niche in the forest, they are in constant motion twitting, flitting, and hopping about. The various species —Black and White, Hooded, Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided, Northern Parula – are abundant in our woodlands in the spring and summer and are best sighted with patience and binoculars. A flock of warblers has been called collectively a “bouquet” of warblers.
The Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) is one of our loveliest summer residents, the masthead bird for our local Audubon Society. They live low in the forest, in the understory of mixed coniferous and deciduous trees. Look in bushes and lower branches. Let his song give him away.
Merlin Bird ID will recognize and identify the distinctive song of the Black-throated Blue which is a good place to start if you are searching for this bird. Sibley describes the male’s song to be “a husky but musical buzz, lazy and drawling…a harsh, slow, rising buzz: zheew zheew zheeeee or zo zo zo zo zo zo zo zeee.”
Merry May and happy birding from the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society.
The mission of the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society is to provide opportunities to enjoy and learn about birds and other wildlife and to promote conservation and restoration of the habitats that support them. HPAS is a 501(c)(3) organization, a Chapter of the National Audubon Society. Visit highlandsaudubonsociety.org for information on membership and all activities.
