25 Species Of Warblers In Alaska (ID and Song Guide)

This guide will help you identify all the species of warbler that are regularly occurring in Alaska with photo ID and descriptions, audio recordings of their songs, and fun facts, plus more.

Warblers are small migratory songbirds that travel long distances from as far as South America up to breeding grounds as far as Canada. They are active and often bright birds that rush through from breeding to wintering grounds in a flash of yellow and green and with a marvelous variety of songs.

North American warblers are known as wood-warblers as they can be found mainly in woodland and forests. You may also get what is known as warbler neck, which is a painful neck stiffness and tingling from looking up into the trees with your binoculars trying to spot them.

Warblers mainly eat insects, but they will often come to backyard feeders for seeds or mealworms. Find out the other species of birds that regularly visit Alaska and print a free ID chart.

This guide will help you identify the types of warblers spotted in Alaska that are classed as regularly occurring according to avibase and uses data collected from bird watchers on ebird to give real information about when these birds can be spotted.

Warblers in Alaska in summer: Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Blackpoll Warbler, Arctic Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, MacGillivray’s Warbler
Accidental Warblers in Alaska: Tennessee Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, Nashville Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Mourning Warbler

What Do Warblers Sound Like?

You will often hear warblers before you see them, and if you get to know a few of their songs, then it will be easier to identify the bird you see. Luckily some warblers’ songs sound more distinctive than others.

Warblers’ songs can be described as buzzy, clear, or a trill and they may rise in pitch or fall, and they have several different sounds going on. A buzzy note sounds insect-like, a clear note is like a whistle, and a trill is so fast you can’t hear the individual notes.

For all of the warblers in this guide, you can hear their song, but you can check out this guide to 13 easy to recognize warbler songs to help.

Warblers with Buzzy songs:

• Black-throated Blue Warblers’ song rises and is buzzy
• Prairie Warblers are also buzzy and rising
• Black-throated Green is also buzzy but with a couple of clear notes in the middle
• Blackpoll warblers’ are clear and steady but sound like the buzz of an insect
• Prairie Warblers’ song is buzzy and rises in pitch
• Palm Warblers’ song is buzzy

Warblers with songs with clear notes:

• Common Yellowthroats’ song is made up of a series of notes that rise and fall and is then repeated.
• Ovenbird – series of notes that rise and fall
• Hooded Warblers
• Chestnut-sided Warblers’ song is a series of clear falling notes that speeds up at the end.
• Yellow-rumped Warblers make a series of clear notes that fades out at the end.
• Yellow Warblers’ song speeds up.
• Northern Parula has a rising trill that ends with a different note, almost like a period to stop.
• Wilson’s Warblers’ song is a series of clear falling notes that speed up.

25 Species of Warbler In Alaska:

1. Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warblers spend the breeding season in Alaska, and they are mainly spotted here from April to November. They are recorded in 21% of summer checklists submitted by bird watchers for the state.

Yellow-rumped Warblers are gray with flashes of yellow on the face, sides, and rump and white in the wings. Females may be slightly brown, and winter birds are paler brown with bright yellow rumps and sides turning bright yellow and gray again in spring.

There are two subspecies, the Myrtle Warbler of the eastern US and boreal forests of Canada, which lacks the yellow throat, and Audubon’s Warbler of the west, which also has more white in the wings.

• Setophaga coronata
• Length: 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm)
• Weight: 0.4-0.5 oz (12-13 g)
• Wingspan: 7.5-9.1 in (19-23 cm)

Yellow-rumped Warblers breed predominantly in Canada and parts of the Rockies and the Appalachian mountains.

During migration, they can be seen in the Midwest before overwintering in southern and southwestern US states and the Pacific Coast and into Mexico and Central America.

You can find Yellow-rumped Warblers in coniferous forests, especially during the breeding season. During winter, they can be found in open areas with fruiting shrubs. In summer, they eat mostly insects and on migration, and in winter, they eat mostly fruit, including bayberry and wax myrtle. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler Song:

Nests of Yellow-rumped Warblers are made by females in conifer trees from twigs, pine needles, and grass and lined with soft grass, moss, and hair. They lay up to six eggs which take around two weeks to hatch and a further two weeks to leave the nest.

Attract Yellow-rumped Warblers to your backyard with sunflower seeds, suet, raisins, and peanut butter.

Fun Fact: Yellow-rumped Warblers form flocks numbering thousands in the winter, and they can be aggressive to any other species getting too close.

2. Orange-crowned Warbler

Orange-crowned Warblers are mainly spotted in Alaska during summer from April to September, but some remain until December. They are recorded in 19% of summer checklists for the state.

Orange-crowned Warblers are not as brightly colored as other warblers with their yellow-olive coloring, which is more yellow on the Pacific Coast. Their orange crown is rarely seen.

• Leiothlypis celata
• Length: 4.3-5.5 in (11-14 cm)
• Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (7-11 g)
• Wingspan: 7.5 in (19 cm)

Orange-crowned Warblers breed in Canada and western US states before migrating to the Pacific, East and Gulf Coasts, and Mexico. They can also be seen during migration in all US states, except the northeastern.

You can find Orange-crowned Warblers in shrubs and low vegetation, but they breed in open woodland. Their diet consists mainly of spiders and insects such as caterpillars and flies. They will also eat fruit, berries, and seeds and regularly visit backyard feeders.

Orange-crowned Warbler Song:

Nests of Orange-crowned Warblers are near to or on the ground and made from dead leaves, twigs, and stems and then lined with soft grass and animal hair. They lay up to six eggs.

Attract Orange-crowned Warblers to your yard with suet and peanut butter or hummingbird feeders filled with sugar water nectar.

Fun Fact: Orange-crowned Warblers will drink from the sapwells of sapsuckers and woodpeckers.

3. Wilson’s Warbler

Wilson’s Warblers are spotted in Alaska from May until November. They breed in the state and occur in 12% of checklists at this time.

Wilson’s Warblers are tiny round yellow warblers with a large black cap in the males and a smaller black cap in females.

• Cardellina pusilla
• Length: 3.9-4.7 in (10-12 cm)
• Weight: 0.2-0.3 oz (5-10 g)
• Wingspan: 5.5-6.7 in (14-17 cm)

Wilson’s Warblers breed in Canada, Alaska, and northwestern US states but can also be seen across all US states during migration. They winter in Mexico and Central America.

You can find Wilson’s Warblers along streams in thickets and near forest edges foraging for insects and their larvae and spiders.

Wilson’s Warblers song:

Nests of Wilson’s Warblers are well hidden on the ground near trees or shrubs and made from leaves and sedges for the base. Grass, bark, moss, and plant material are woven into a cup shape and lined with soft grass and animal hair. They lay around five eggs which take about eleven days to hatch and an additional ten days for the young to leave the nest.

Attract Wilson’s Warblers to your backyard with native trees and shrubs, but they do not visit feeders.

Fun Fact: Wilson’s Warblers distract potential nest predators by pretending to have a broken wing and drawing the predator away before flying off.

4. Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warblers are spotted in Alaska during the breeding season from May, and they start to migrate in November. They occur in up to 11% of summer checklists.

Yellow Warblers are small bright yellow birds with a yellow-green back, and the males have chestnut streaks on the breast. Females and juveniles are not as bright as males.

• Setophaga petechia
• Length: 4.7-5.1 in (12-13 cm)
• Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (9-11 g)
• Wingspan: 6.3-7.9 in (16-20 cm)

Yellow Warblers migrate a long distance to breed in Canada and the US, except for southeastern states, before heading back into Central and South America for winter. However, they can be seen during migration in southeastern US states.

You can find Yellow Warblers along streams and wetlands in thickets and along the edges of fields foraging for insects, including caterpillars, midges, beetles, bugs, and wasps.

Yellow Warbler Song:

Nests of Yellow Warblers are in small trees or shrubs and made from bark, grass, and plant material woven together and secured with spider webs to form a cup. It is then lined with softer material such as hair, feathers, and plant down.

They lay up to seven eggs which take around twelve days to hatch and an additional ten days for the young to leave the nest.

Attract Yellow Warblers to your backyard with suet, oranges, peanut butter, and plants with berries. Also, plant native plants that attract insects without pesticides or being too tidy! Also, try birdbaths with fountains near secluded planting to provide protection.

Fun Fact: Cowbirds often lay their eggs in Yellow Warblers’ nests, and if detected, the Yellow Warblers build a new nest on top of the old nest and eggs and start again – up to six times!

5. Townsend’s Warbler

Townsend’s Warblers spend summer in Alaska and occur in 6% of checklists at this time. They are mainly spotted from April to October, but a few remain until January.

Townsend’s Warblers are small black and yellow birds. Males are striking with their black crowns, cheeks, and throats. They also have yellow eyebrows, a yellow crescent under the eye, and yellow bellies. They have black spots on their yellow upper backs. They have black wings with two white wingbars. Their bellies are white. 

Female Townsend’s Warblers are lighter in color but with almost the same patterns. However, females don’t have the distinctive black throat that males do. Juveniles are even lighter in color. Their backs, crowns, and cheeks are olive-green. They also do not have the black throat of the males, but they do have the streaks on the chest, just light-colored. 

• Setophaga townsendi
• Length: 4.75 – 5 inches (12 – 13 cm)
• Weight: 0.3 oz (9 g)
• Wingspan: 7.5 – 8 inches (19 – 20 cm)

Townsend’s Warblers breed in western Canada, northwestern US states, and Alaska before migrating to the Pacific Coast, Mexico, and Central America.

You can find Townsend’s Warblers in tall and dense coniferous forests in the coastal belt and in the mountains. They prefer areas with pine, oak, alder, madrones, and laurels. 

Townsend’s Warblers, with their partiality to high and tall trees, naturally forage in them, too. They search among twigs and branches for insects like caterpillars, bugs, beetles, and leafhoppers. They will also hover among foliage just to get their food. 

In winter, Townsend’s Warblers are known to feed on the sugary excretions of scale insects. They will actually set up and defend their territory around these insects. 

Townsend’s Warblers’ song:

Nests of Townsend’s Warblers are also located high up in the trees, usually placed on top of a branch. They are made of grass stems, mosses, and barks and lined with feathers and animal hair. 

Attract Townsend’s Warblers to your backyard in the winter by preparing mealworms, peanut butter, and suet. They usually drop by backyard feeders when temperatures get too cold.

Fun Fact:  The Townsend’s Warbler got its name from American ornithologist John Kirk Townsend.

6. Northern Waterthrush

Northern Waterthrushes spend the breeding season in Alaska and appear in 7% of summer checklists. They are spotted here from May to October.

Northern Waterthrushes are large, thrush-like birds whose males and females bear similar traits. They both have brown heads with thick, white eyebrows, dark brown backs, and white bellies with dark, heavy streaking from their throats all the way to their rumps. 

• Parkesia noveboracensis
• Length: 5.75 inches (15 cm)
• Weight: 0.8 oz (23 g)
• Wingspan: 8.75 inches (22 cm)

Northern Waterthrushes breed in Canada, Alaska, and northeastern US states before migrating to Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Some may remain all year in Central and South America.

You can find Northern Waterthrushes in dark, woody swamps, thickets, and bogs. If there is any still or sluggish water in the forests, you’ll probably find a Northern Waterthrush around it. In winter, in the tropics, you will usually find them among mangroves. 

The Northern Waterthrushes are aquatic and terrestrial foragers. With their long legs, they are able to walk on shallow water in search of water beetles, mosquitoes, slugs, crustaceans, snails, and sometimes, small fish. They also eat caterpillars, moths, and ants, which they find under leaves. 

Northern Waterthrushes’ song:

Nests of Northern Waterthrushes are usually located in hollows or crevices near water. They can be in a moss-covered stump or under a jutting bank, but the nests are generally hidden among ferns. Females build them from moss, twigs, pine needles, bark strips, and roots, where she lays three to six eggs. She alone incubates the eggs for about two weeks. 

Fun Fact: Northern Waterthrushes usually walk on the ground rather than hop. When walking, they bob their tails, making them appear out of balance. 

7. Blackpoll Warbler

Blackpoll Warblers are spotted from May to mid-November in Alaska and are recorded in 4% of summer checklists.

Blackpoll Warblers males are streaked black-and-white with a black cap and white cheeks. Females are also black-and-white but without a black cap and white cheeks.

They look very different in late summer and molt into yellow with darker streaking on the back.

• Setophaga striata
• Length: 5.5 in (14 cm)
• Weight: 0.4-0.5 oz (12-13 g)
• Wingspan: 8.3-9.1 in (21-23 cm)

Blackpoll Warblers breed in Canada and can be seen during spring migration in the eastern United States. In fall, they migrate to their winter grounds in South America and the Caribbean.

You can find Blackpoll Warblers in forests feeding mostly on spiders and insects, but they will also eat fruit such as honeysuckle and pokeberry in the fall.

Blackpoll Warbler song:

Nests of Blackpoll Warblers are usually near the trunks of fir trees and made from twigs and lichen by the female. They lay up to five eggs which take around twelve days to hatch and ten days for the young to leave the nest.

Fun Fact: Blackpoll Warblers fly non-stop over the Atlantic Ocean in fall from their breeding grounds to South America. However, in spring, they stop in the Caribbean and fly over the land.

8. Arctic Warbler

Arctic Warblers spend the breeding season in Alaska and are spotted from June to mid-October. They appear in 1% of summer checklists.

Arctic Warblers are small warblers with olive-green heads, backs, and sides. They sport a whitish eye line on the upper part of the eye extending from the bill to the back of the head. Their breast and belly are whitish-yellow. They have a single, small, pale wingbar that’s unique among other warblers. 

Both males and females look alike. However, their feathers molt and look a bit paler in the fall. So, instead of olive green, they look grayish. 

• Phylloscopus borealis
• Length: 5 inches (13 cm)
• Weight: 0.4 oz (11 g)
• Wingspan: 7.75 inches (20 cm)

You can find Arctic Warblers in temperate regions of Alaska with forests of birch, willows, and spruce trees. During winter, they migrate to Southeast Asia and are known to have the longest migration route. 

Arctic Warblers are insectivores, meaning their main diet consists of insects and other small invertebrates, like beetles, flies, caterpillars, mosquitoes, and many others. 

Arctic Warblers’ song:

Nests of Arctic Warblers are built by the female and located on the ground, protected by thickets of willow and birch. The nests are sphere-shaped and are where the female lays five to seven eggs that she incubates for about two weeks. 

Fun Fact: Arctic Warblers are known to have the longest migration route of any Old World insectivore.

9. Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroats are not very common in Alaska, but they can be spotted during the breeding season from May to mid-November in the southeast of the state.

Common Yellowthroats are small songbirds that are brownish on the back and bright yellow underneath, with long tails. The males have a black masks across their faces. The brightness of the yellow can vary geographically, and they may be more olive in parts underneath.

• Geothlypis trichas
• Length: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)
• Weight: 0.3-0.3 oz (9-10 g)
• Wingspan: 5.9-7.5 in (15-19 cm)

Common Yellowthroats spend the summer breeding over most of North America, except Alaska and northern Canada. Some remain all year along the Gulf Coast and Pacific Southwest. Then, they migrate south for winter.

You can find Common Yellowthroats often in marshy or wetland areas and brushy fields living in thick, tangled vegetation. 

Common Yellowthroat Song:

Nests of Common Yellowthroats are built by females near the ground in marshy areas and supported by reeds. The nest is made from grass and sedges supported on a platform of leaves and grass. They lay up to six eggs which take around twelve days to hatch and the same for the young to leave the nest.

Attract Common Yellowthroats to large backyards with dense vegetation and native plants to attract insects.

Fun Fact: The black mask of Common Yellowthroats is a sign to courting males that that bird is male, and they attack when fake birds are used, but they do not attack when the bird has no mask.

10. American Redstart

American Redstarts are not often seen in Alaska, but they do breed in the southeast of the state. You might get lucky and spot them from mid-May to September.

American Redstarts are mostly black with bright orange patches and a white belly. Females are olive-gray instead of black and have yellow patches.

• Setophaga ruticilla
• Length: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)
• Weight: 0.2-0.3 oz (6-9 g)
• Wingspan: 6.3-7.5 in (16-19 cm)

American Redstarts breed in eastern US states and Canada and into northwestern US states. They may also be seen during migration in central and western US states.

You can find American Redstarts in deciduous woodlands eating insects and also in backyards and thickets eating berries such as serviceberry and magnolia.

American Redstart song: Their song drops in pitch at the end.

Nests of American Redstarts are close to the trunk in trees or large shrubs and are made from bark, grass, and other plant material. They lay up to five eggs which take just under two weeks to hatch and a week or two for the young to leave the nest.

Attract American Redstarts to your backyard with berry plants such as magnolia and serviceberry.

Fun Fact: American Redstart parents only feed certain chicks each rather than feeding them all.

11. MacGillivray’s Warbler

Although not very common here, MacGillivray’s Warblers can be spotted in Alaska, mostly during summer in the southeast of the state.

MacGillivray’s Warblers are small but chunky birds. Males have slate gray heads, black bands across the eyes, and grayish spots that darken to black from under the bill to the throat. Females have a light-gray head and throat, with no black markings. They both have olive-gray backs, yellow bellies, and white, crescent-shaped partial eyerings. 

• Geothlypis tolmiei
• Length:5.25 inches (13 cm)
• Weight: 0.4 oz (11 g)
• Wingspan: 8.25 inches (21 cm)

MacGillivray’s Warblers breed mainly in northwestern US states and western Canada before migrating to Mexico and Central America.

You can find MacGillivray’s Warblers in areas with dense shrubbery or vegetation. They also abound in shady thickets near streams, in logged forests with fallen trees, or in burned areas with dead trees. 

MacGillivray’s Warblers spend their time foraging on the ground, either hopping or flying low, in search of insects, like beetles and caterpillars. 

MacGillivray’s Warblers’ song:

Nests of MacGillivray’s Warblers are concealed in thick shrubs, around one to five feet above the ground. They are placed in upright forks of scrub oaks or fir saplings. There are also some nests that are placed on the ground within tall weeds and ferns. 

They are usually constructed out of weed stems, barks, and dry grass. The female lays three to six eggs which she alone incubates for about eleven days. 

Fun Fact: MacGillivray’s Warblers were named after Dr. W. MacGillivray, who was a friend of John James Audubon. However, John Kirk Townsend had already given the species a name, “Tolmie’s Warbler”, in honor of Dr. W. T. Tolmie. Thus, the scientific name “tolmiei” was the compromise. 

12. Tennessee Warbler

^{Credit: Jerry Oldenettel}

Tennessee Warblers are considered rare or accidental species in Alaska, but they can be occasionally spotted around the east of the state from May to November.

Tennessee Warblers males have gray heads, green backs, and are pale whitish underneath. Females are greener with yellow underneath and with green heads. Males have a white eyestripe, and females have a yellow eyestripe. They have white under their tails.

• Leiothlypis peregrina
• Length: 3.9-5.1 in (10-13 cm)
• Weight: 0.3-0.3 oz (8-10 g)
• Wingspan: 7.5-7.9 in (19-20 cm)

Tennessee Warblers fly a long way from Central America up to Canada. They can be seen during migration across eastern US states.

You can find Tennessee Warblers eating and hunting mostly for caterpillars on trees and shrubs in woodlands.

Tennessee Warblers’ song:

Nests of Tennessee Warblers are hidden in moss or the roots of trees and made from grass and weeds. They lay around six eggs which take about twelve days to hatch, and the same again for the young to leave the nest.

Fun Fact: Although called a Tenessee warbler, they do not breed or spend much time in Tenessee! They were so named as this was the first place they were spotted and were given this name.

13. Palm Warbler

Palm Warblers are considered rare or accidental species in Alaska, but they have been spotted here during migration.

The palm warbler has a rusty red patch on the top of its head and is a browny-olive color over the rest of its body. Birds in the west have whiter bellies. Males and females look the same in the breeding season, and non-breeding birds’ crowns are duller.

• Setophaga palmarum
• Length: 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm)
• Weight: 0.3-0.5 oz (7-13 g)
• Wingspan: 7.9-8.3 in (20-21 cm)

Palm Warblers breed predominantly in Canada and can be seen during migration in eastern US states. Some winter in Florida and along the southeastern coast.

You can spot Palm Warblers mainly during the spring and fall migration in weedy fields, forest edges, and scrubby areas. They are often found foraging along the ground for insects, mixed in with other birds such as Sparrows, Juncos, and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Palm Warbler song:

Nests of Palm Warblers are in bogs and boreal forests on the ground and are made from grass, sedge, and ferns woven into a cup shape and lined with soft grass, feathers, and animal hair. They lay around five eggs.

Attract Palm Warblers to your backyard by planting native plants that attract insects and also plant bayberry or hawthorn for their berries.

Fun Fact: Unlike most warblers, Palm Warblers usually walk on the ground bobbing their tails while looking for insects.

14. Black-throated Gray Warbler

Although considered accidental species in Alaska, Black-throated Gray Warblers were last spotted around Juneau in 2021.

Black-throated Gray Warblers are black-and-white streaked warblers with a gray back and yellow spot in front of the eyes. Males have more black on their throats than females.

• Setophaga nigrescens
• Length: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)
• Weight: 0.3-0.3 oz (7-10 g)
• Wingspan: 7.5-7.8 in (19-19.7 cm)

Black-throated Gray Warblers breed in western and south-central US states and the coast of British Columbia before migrating to Mexico for winter. 

You can find Black-throated Gray Warblers searching for insects on trees in woodlands and on shrubs.

Black-throated Gray Warblers song:

Nests of Black-throated Gray Warblers are in trees and made by the female from bark, grass, and moss. They lay up to five eggs.

Fun Fact: Although Black-throated Gray Warblers are easy to observe, can be found at lower levels in trees, and are not shy birds, very little is known about them.

15. Black-and-white Warbler

Black-and-white Warblers are considered rare species in Alaska, but they were last seen around Gustavus in 2020.

Black-and-white Warblers are pretty distinctive and easier to identify with their stiped appearance. Males have a large black patch across the eye and cheek and are a darker black than females.

• Mniotilta varia
• Length: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)
• Weight: 0.3-0.5 oz (8-15 g)
• Wingspan: 7.1-8.7 in (18-22 cm)

Black-and-white Warblers breed in the eastern United States and Canada. They spend the winter in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, and down through Mexico, Baja California, the Caribbean, and northern South America. They can be seen during migration in central US states.

You can spot Black-and-white Warblers hopping up and down on tree trunks and branches in forests, looking for insects.

Black-and-white Warbler song:

Nests of Black-and-white Warblers are hidden close to or on the ground, often under a log or shrub. The nest is made from bark, grass, and pine needles woven into a cup. They lay around five eggs which take about eleven days to hatch and an additional ten days for the young to leave the nest.

16. Nashville Warbler

Nashville Warblers are rare species in Alaska, and they last were spotted around Ketchikan and Juneau in 2020.

Nashville Warblers are mostly yellow with a green back and gray head with a white eyering. Females and juveniles are not as bright as males. They have distinctive white bellies between yellow breasts and under their tails.

• Leiothlypis ruficapilla
• Length: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)
• Weight: 0.2-0.5 oz (6.7-13.9 g)
• Wingspan: 6.7-7.9 in (17-20 cm)

Nashville Warblers breed in northeastern US states and Canada and a smaller population in northwestern US states and into British Columbia. They can also be seen during migration in most states.

You can find Nashville Warbler in scrubby habitats and low deciduous forests, hunting for insects.

Nashville Warbler song:

Nests of Nashville Warblers are close to the ground and made from bark, moss, and grass woven into a cup and lined with pine needles, soft grass, and animal hair. They lay around five eggs which take twelve days to hatch and an additional ten days for the young to leave the nest.

Attract Nashville Warblers to your backyard in winter to southern US states with suet.

Fun Fact: The first time Nashville Warblers migrate, they go along the Atlantic Coast, but after that, they always go inland.

17. Cerulean Warbler

Cerulean Warblers are accidental species in Alaska. They are extremely rare and have only been spotted here around Juneau.

Male Cerulean Warblers are small songbirds that have rich blue heads with a black band around their neck. Their backs and sides are blue with black streaks. Their throats, breasts, and bellies are white. On their wings are two white bars. 

Females are bluish-green and have yellow eyebrows and a yellowish tinge underneath. They also have no streaks on their backs. Juveniles are more olive than blue with the same eyebrows as females. They also have prominent streaks on their sides but with the same white double wing bars.  

• Setophaga cerulea
• Length: 4.5 – 5 inches (11 – 13 cm)
• Weight: 0.3 oz. (9 g)
• Wingspan: 7.5 inches (19 cm)

Cerulean Warblers breed in the Midwest and across to the east coast but can be seen during migration in southeastern states on their way to winter grounds in South America.

You can find Cerulean Warblers in mature forests with deciduous trees with large leaves. When migrating, they head for forested mountains. 

Cerulean Warblers mostly forage in trees. They may catch insects in flight or search for insects, like caterpillars, among leaves and branches. 

Cerulean Warblers’ song:

Nests of Cerulean Warblers are cup-shaped and naturally located in the higher, horizontal branches of trees. They are often made out of bark strips, spider silk, and grass made soft with moss and fur. The female lays three to five eggs that she has to incubate for about thirteen days. 

Fun Fact: Females, when they exit their nests, tumble to the ground like a falling leaf but immediately release their wings and fly near the ground.

18. Ovenbird

Ovenbirds are rare or accidental species in Alaska, and they were last spotted around the Colville River Delta in 2019.

Ovenbirds look drab compared to other warblers with their olive-green backs and black-and-white spotted underside.

• Seiurus aurocapilla
• Length: 4.3-5.5 in (11-14 cm)
• Weight: 0.6-1.0 oz (16-28 g)
• Wingspan: 7.5-10.2 in (19-26 cm)

Ovenbirds breed in northeastern US states and Canada, the Midwest, and up into northwest Canada. They can be seen during migration in eastern US states. They spend the winter in Florida, Mexico, Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean.

You can find Ovenbirds on the ground rummaging through leaf litter in forests, looking for insects.

Ovenbird Song:

Nests of Ovenbirds are usually on the ground, and the female creates a domed nest from leaves, grass, bark, and other plant material. The nest has a side entrance and is lined with animal hair. They lay around five eggs which take up to two weeks to hatch and up to ten days for the young to leave the nest.

Fun Fact: Ovenbirds get their name from the unusually shaped nest they build, which resembles the shape of a dutch oven.

19. Magnolia Warbler

Magnolia Warblers are rare species in Alaska and were last spotted around Mendenhall and Hyder in 2018.

Magnolia Warblers males are black on the back and yellow underneath. They have black streaking forming a ‘necklace’ on their necks and down over their bellies. Females are grayer on the back and lack the distinctive streaking down the belly.

• Setophaga magnolia
• Length: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)
• Weight: 0.2-0.5 oz (6-15 g)
• Wingspan: 6.3-7.9 in (16-20 cm)

Magnolia Warblers breed across Canada and northeastern US states. They can be seen during migration in the eastern US. They spend the winter in Central America and the Caribbean.

You can find Magnolia Warblers on low branches in forests or parks, so it’s easier to spot them during migration. Their diet is insects and spiders.

Magnolia Warbler song:

Nests of Magnolia Warblers are a loose construction of grass and weeds built close to the trunk of conifer trees. They lay around four eggs that take about twelve days to hatch and a further nine days for the young to leave the nest.

Attract Magnolia Warblers to your backyard with native shrubs and trees for them to rest in during migration.

Fun Fact: Magnolia Warblers show off the white spots on their tails to attract females and to warn off rivals.

20. Bay-breasted Warbler

Bay-breasted Warblers are accidental species in Alaska, but they were last seen around Gambell in 2018.

Bay-breasted Warbler males are gray and black-streaked on the back and have reddish-brown crowns and breasts. They are white underneath and have black faces with a white patch behind their faces.

However, they are different colors during the breeding season than after the fall molt, and they look similar to Blackpoll Warblers in the fall.

Female Bay-breasted Warblers are similar but with less reddish-brown coloring and no black on the face when in breeding plumage. Non-breeding females and juveniles have yellowish-green heads, necks, and upper backs.

• Setophaga castanea
• Length: 5.5 in (14 cm)
• Weight: 0.3-0.6 oz (10-17 g)
• Wingspan: 7.9-8.7 in (20-22 cm)

Bay-breasted Warblers breed in Canada and can be seen over eastern US states during the migration. They spend the winter in South America.

You can find Bay-breasted Warblers mostly in spruce and fir forests in the breeding season, eating spruce budworm, but they can be seen in any forest type during migration. In winter, they also eat berries.

Bay-breasted Warblers’ song:

Nests of Bay-breasted Warblers are built mainly by females on lower branches of spruce or fir trees. They use twigs and bark with dried grass, woven in and held together with spider silk. They lay up to seven eggs.

Fun Fact: Bay-breasted Warblers can consume over 10,000 budworms per hectare in around 40 days, and there are more nests in budworm outbreak areas.

21. Northern Parula

Northern Parulas are accidental species in Alaska. They are extremely rare and have only been spotted around Ketchikan in 2017.

Northern Warblers are a colorful contrast of blueish-gray and yellow. They are bluish-gray on the back with a yellow patch on the back and with two white wingbars.

Males have a chestnut band that separates the yellow throat and chest that adorns both males and females. Females are paler than males and lack the chestnut band. Juveniles are paler.

• Setophaga americana
• Length: 4.3-4.7 in (11-12 cm)
• Weight: 0.2-0.4 oz (5-11 g)
• Wingspan: 6.3-7.1 in (16-18 cm)

Northern Parulas breed in the eastern US states and southeastern Canada before heading to Central America and the Caribbean for winter. They may remain for winter in southern Florida.

You can find Northern Parulas feeding on insects high up in deciduous forests.

Northern Parula Song:

Nests of Northern Parula are made in long clumps of lichen and moss that drape from the branches. The best way to spot them is by looking up at large clumps of hanging moss in the summer.

Attract Northern Parula to your backyard with native trees and shrubs, especially those with berries, and leave brush piles for insect-friendly areas.

Fun Fact: Northern Parula females do the rearing of young, including incubation of the eggs and feeding them. Males sing and remove fecal sacs!

22. Cape May Warbler

Cape May Warblers are considered rare or accidental species in Alaska, and they were last seen in the state back in 2017.

Male Cape May Warblers have distinctive heads with chestnut cheeks and dark caps and are framed in a ring of yellow around the neck. They are mottled yellow-olive above and yellow with dark streaks below.

The tiger stripes on the Cape May Warblers chest and unusual dark crown set this warbler apart from other warblers. Female and immature Cape May Warblers are less bright and lack the head coloring of the males.

• Setophaga tigrina
• Length: 4.7-5.1 in (12-13 cm)
• Weight: 0.4-0.5 oz (10.2-15.2 g)
• Wingspan: 7.9-8.7 in (20-22 cm)

Cape May Warblers migrate to breeding grounds in Canada, passing over eastern US states. They spend the winter in the Caribbean and a narrow band of the coast on the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America.

You can find Cape May Warblers in spruce forests in their breeding grounds. However, during migration, they can be spotted in any habitat, especially near the edges of woods and scrub, where they can find the most insects.

They feed mainly on spruce budworm in summer, but in winter, they will eat fruit and nectar, and they will use hummingbird feeders.

Cape May Warbler song:

Nests of Cape May Warblers are built high up in spruce trees and near the truck. The nest is made from twigs, pine needles, and bark formed into a cup lined with animal hair, feathers, and other soft plant material. They lay up to nine eggs.

Attract Cape May Warblers to your backyard with native shrubs and trees that attract insects, and they may come for fruit and hummingbird feeders.

Fun Fact: Cape May Warblers have specially shaped tongues used for lapping up nectar; it is curled to form a tube shape.

23. Yellow-throated Warbler

Yellow-throated Warblers are extremely rare in Alaska, and they are considered accidental species here. They were only spotted around Glacier Bay National Park in 2015.

Yellow-throated Warblers have gray and white bodies with black stripes and bright yellow throats. They have white bellies and tails when looking from below. Females and juveniles are paler.

• Setophaga dominica
• Length: 5.1-5.5 in (13-14 cm)
• Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (9-11 g)
• Wingspan: 8.3 in (21 cm)

Yellow-throated Warblers breed across the southeastern US states and spend winter in Florida, the Caribbean, and along the Gulf Coast into Central America. Some birds may remain resident all year in Florida.

You can find Yellow-throated Warblers usually at the top of pine trees looking for insects, but they may forage lower down during migration.

Yellow-throated Warbler song:

Nests of Yellow-throated Warblers are built in Spanish moss hanging from the branches of trees. They make a pocket in the moss and create a nest from grasses, weeds, and moss woven into a cup. They lay around four eggs which take up to two weeks to hatch.

Attract Yellow-throated Warblers to your backyard with native plants and wild and unkept areas of your yard.

Fun Fact: Yellow-throated Warblers are one of the few birds that have increased in number in recent years. Originally their numbers declined, and their range shrank, but they have increased 50% since 1966.

24. Mourning Warbler

Mourning Warblers are considered rare or accidental species in Alaska. There have only been a couple of sightings in the state. The last was around Gambell back in 2014.

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.

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. 

• Geothlypis philadelphia
• Length: 5.25 inches (13 cm)
• Weight: 0.5 oz (14 g)
• Wingspan: 8.25 inches (21 cm)

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.

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 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. 

25. Chestnut-sided Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warblers are rare or accidental species in Alaska, and they were last spotted around Middleton Island back in 2012.

Chestnut-sided Warbler males have bright yellow crowns and black masks and are gray underneath with chestnut down the sides. In winter, males molt into green and white coloring and look similar to breeding females.

Females are paler than males and do not have black on their faces. They still have the chestnut sides and yellow crown during the breeding season, but in winter, they lack the chestnut sides, and the crown is brighter. Juveniles are similar to winter females.

• Setophaga pensylvanica
• Length: 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm)
• Weight: 0.4-0.5 oz (10.7-14.3 g)
• Wingspan: 7.5-8.3 in (19-21 cm)

Chestnut-sided Warblers breed in northeastern US states and southeastern Canada and can also be seen during migration over eastern US states.

You can find Chestnut-sided Warblers on forest edges or thickets, mainly looking for insects. They especially like forests that have been damaged and are regenerating after fires, logging, or floods.

Chestnut-sided Warbler song:

Nests of Chestnut-sided Warblers are low to the ground in trees and shrubs and made from grass, weeds, and bark woven into a cup shape and lined with softer material. They lay up to five eggs which take twelve days to hatch and around eleven days for the young to leave the nest.

Fun Fact: Chestnut-sided Warblers only like forests regenerating forests, and once they are restored after about ten years, they find other forests to breed in.

How Frequently Warblers Are Spotted In Alaska In Summer And Winter

Checklists are a great resource to find out which birds are commonly spotted in your state. These lists show which warblers are most frequently recorded on checklists on ebird in summer and winter in Alaska.

How To Attract Warblers To Your Backyard

Warblers are not as common as other songbirds to backyard feeders, but there are ways you can attract these melodious songbirds to your yard:

1. Provide trees if your yard is big enough
2. Leave brush piles and don’t be too tidy to ensure an insect friend habitat
3. Don’t use pesticides or herbicides to ensure insects are available and birds do not consume any
4. Provide a clean water source
5. Offer mealworms, preferably live ones but dried if not
6. Provide bird feeders with sunflower seeds, peanut hearts, and suet