Male Mourning Warblers have dark gray heads, necks, and distinguishing black chests. Females have a light gray head and no black chest patch. They both have olive backs, wings, and yellow bellies.
The Mourning Warbler is very similar in appearance to MacGillivray’s Warbler, making it hard to distinguish them. Their main difference is their eyering – Mourning Warblers have no visible eyering, while MacGillivray’s Warbler has white, crescent-shaped eyerings.
- Geothlypis philadelphia
- Length: 5.25 inches (13 cm)
- Weight: 0.5 oz (14 g)
- Wingspan: 8.25 inches (21 cm)
Range
Mourning Warblers breed in northeastern US states, around the Great Lakes, and southern Canada before migrating over eastern US states to Central America and northwestern South America.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Mourning Warblers in dense thickets where the forests were disturbed by fires, storms, or logging activities. They are also seen amid blackberry shrubs or in places with a thick understory or covered canopies.
Mourning warblers forage on the ground and on branches for insect larvae, caterpillars, beetles, and spiders. They may also eat fruit from the Cecropia tree.
Mourning Warblers’ Song:
Nests
Nests of Mourning Warblers are often in a concealed ground location within dense shrubs and thickets. The nests are made of leaves, weeds, and grasses lined with animal hair. Females lay three to five eggs which they incubate for about twelve days.
Fun Fact:
The Mourning Warbler is so named because their gray hood and black chest make them seem like they’re in mourning.
