Friday's Foto

The Pine Warbler is the first of North America’s warbler species to arrive in our area during the northbound, Spring migration. This early arrival is due primarily to the fact that most of their population remain in the Southeast after the breeding season, although some will overwinter in northeastern Mexico and islands in the Caribbean. Listen for their rich trilling song, usually from a perch high atop a pine tree. Breeding from extreme southeastern Manitoba, across southern Ontario and into Maine, south across the eastern U.S. to eastern Texas, the Gulf Coast, and Florida they can be found in open pine woods, especially southern longleaf pine forest, sandy barrens of pitch pine with scrub oak undergrowth, jack-pine barrens, and similar habitats.

Like most New World Warblers, their diet consists mainly of insects, however, it is the only warbler that eats large quantities of seeds, as well as, berries. They are also known to visit bird feeders for suet and other items.

The IUCN Red List lists their conservation status as “Least Concern” due to their extremely large range and increasing population trend.

The Pine Warbler’s scientific name, Setophaga pinus, means moth-eating and pine tree.