Blue-winged Warblers are named for the bluish-gray color of their wings. Adults are yellow-green on top, with a black eye line extending from their long bill across the eye, making them look angry.
Their breast and belly are mostly bright yellow, with females having a slightly paler shade but, more often, indistinguishable from the males.
Adults have two white wing bars while juveniles have them too, but they’re so thin, they’re hard to see.
- Vermivora cyanoptera
- Length: 4.75 inches (12 cm)
- Weight: 0.3 oz (9 g)
- Wingspan: 6.75 – 7.5 inches (17 – 19 cm)
Range
Blue-winged Warblers breed in the midwest and central US states and can be seen during migration in southern states on their way to wintering grounds in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Blue-winged warblers in abandoned, brushy fields and pastures, forest edges, and thickets. They usually settle in higher elevation areas with a lot of grass and canopy cover.
Blue-winged Warblers favor insects and spiders they find in various plants and trees. They will even hang upside down from tree branches to check under leaves for insect larvae to feed their young.
Blue-winged Warblers’ Song:
Nests
Nests of Blue-winged Warblers are often found on the ground, in thick bushes, or in the undergrowth. Nests are cup-shaped and made of dead leaves. The female lays four to seven eggs and takes about 12 days to incubate.
Fun Fact:
Blue-winged Warblers often hybridize with Golden-winged Warblers to produce Brewster’s and Lawrence’s Warblers.
