
Adult male has gray head, prominent white eye ring and an inconspicuous reddish crown patch, yellow throat and underparts, and plain greenish upperparts. First-spring males are similar, but show brownish rather than greenish alula and flight feathers (molt limits) and also have some grayish fringing on the upperparts. Adult female is similarly patterned, but is slightly paler gray on the head and lacks red crown patch. Females are also paler yellow below with more white on the belly. Two subspecies: Eastern birds are more uniformly green on the back, with males tending to show less white on the belly–often nearly absent. Eastern birds are also slightly shorter-tailed and do little if any pumping of the tail. Western birds are grayer on the upper back, particularly the upper mantle. They are slightly longer-tailed and pump their tails almost constantly as they move about. Immatures are similar to female, but considerably paler yellow below with more extensive white on belly. They are paler and head and throat and have a less conspicuous white eye ring. Virginia's Warbler has yellow only on undertail coverts and breast; Colima Warbler of West Texas is larger with yellow confined to undertail coverts.
Length: 12 (cm) Wingspan: 19 (cm)
Voice:
Song starts with three sweet whistled "su-weet, su-weet, su-weet phrases, followed by a fast trill. Call is a high-pitched metallic "eents."
Habitat:
Breeds in thickets, riparian zones, and woodland edges. During migration and winter, found in a wide variety of wooded habitats.
Behavior:
Active in all levels of canopy. Typically found alone or in pairs, except during migration and winter when it may flock with other warblers. Nest is a cup of woven soft materials, placed on ground or in base of dense shrub.
Feeding:
Forages by gleaning foliage for a variety of insects and invertebrates. Occasionally visits suet and sugar water feeders, especially in winter.
Field Notes
Much of the somewhat disjunct w. population is partial to brushfields resulting from loss of trees in recently forested settings, such as caused by logging, wildfire, and insects. Because most of the w. birds summer in the mountains--often on steep slopes or in canyons, chiefly away from water or sites otherwise well used for recreation or residence--many birders come to recognize how common Nashville Warbler is as a breeding bird only across the span of a few years. The call-note of w. Nashvilles is thin yet sharp, with a subtle explosive quality to it; this can be learned with a little experience. It's perhaps best written peetz!
Citation: Personal Experience. I observe this regularly, highly confident.

Though Nashville Warbler is a scarce nester in CT, I have found them in both very wet boggy situations and on power lines, higher and drier than bogs and usually having somewhat more of a slope. In Ct, in the fall, occasional Nashvilles are identified as western because of a tail-wagging behavior. I have seen birds that I have identified as eastern Nashvilles by plumage characters also wagging their tails. Do you western guys have any comment on this behavior?
Citation: Personal Experience. I observe this regularly, highly confident.
Expanded Life History
Feed Ecology And Diet | Contribute Content |
Nesting Habits | Contribute Content |
Migration Status | Contribute Content |
Conservation Status | Contribute Content |
Local Sites to Spot | Contribute Content |
Abundance Status | Contribute Content |
Adult Male Description | Contribute Content |
Adult Female Description | Contribute Content |
ITIS Taxonomic Number | Contribute Content |
Sonogram | Contribute Content |
Courtship | Contribute Content |
Reproductive Characteristics | Contribute Content |
Relationship to Humans | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Size & Shape | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Color & Pattern | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Habitat | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Behavior | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Wingspan | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Weight | Contribute Content |
Breeding | Contribute Content |
Cool Facts | Contribute Content |
Local Knowledge | Contribute Content |
Post a Question
Sightings
Date | Submitted By | Count |
---|---|---|
05/02/17 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
04/25/17 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/21/14 | Bob Archer | 3 |
08/27/13 | Nina Bohn | 1 |
06/29/13 | Dave Irons, OR | # |
06/08/13 | Karen Chaivoe | # |
06/01/13 | Nina Bohn | # |
06/09/12 | Dave Irons, OR | 1 |
06/11/12 | Dave Irons, OR | 2 |
05/20/12 | Christopher Hinkle, OR | # |
05/11/12 | Dave Irons, OR | 1 |
04/28/12 | Dave Irons, OR | 1 |
04/22/12 | Dave Irons, OR | 1 |
12/26/11 | Dave Irons, OR | 1 |
12/26/11 | Joe Blowers, OR | # |
Recent Activity
Activity | Date & Time |
---|---|
Steven Mauvais added Nashville Warbler to their Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge smart list | 4/25/2017 at 3:12PM |
Mark S. Szantyr added a note to Nashville Warbler Notes | 7/03/2011 at 8:32PM |
David Fix added a note to Nashville Warbler Notes | 7/02/2011 at 11:01PM |
Dave Irons added Nashville Warbler to their Yard -- NW Marshall St., Portland, OR smart list | 5/17/2011 at 8:56AM |
As suggested by David Fix's comments, one might bird in the American West for many years before getting a handle on the preferred breeding habitat of Nashville Warblers. During the first couple decades that I birded in Oregon, Nashville Warbler habitat was what I drove through (rarely stopped to bird) as I made my way from the Willamette Valley, where I lived, to the high desert country east of the Cascades. It was not until I returned to Oregon (1998) after living in the Midwest for eight years that I redirected my birding attentions to the mid-to-higher elevation slopes of the Cascades. I quickly came to understand that Nashvilles are quite common on steep slopes that are slightly drier and semi-open as a result of logging or a fire event. While scouting for a state wide big day in the mid-2000's, my team and I were looking for a place along Oregon Hwy 58 that might have easily accessible Nashvilles. As we drove along at highway speed just w. of Oakridge in eastern Lane County, I pointed to a perfect-looking slope on the south side of the highway and said "there." We turned off on a side road that circled back to the base of the hill. Upon getting out of the car the song of a Nashville rang out almost immediately.