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Cerulean Warbler |
Scientific:
Dendroica cerulea Wilson Description:
L. 12 cm (4¾ in), ws 19 cm (7¾ in) Smaller
wood-warbler that gets its name from the vivid blue coloration of the
male warbler's back and cheeks Male:
Blue above, white below with black ring across chest. Female:
Blue-grey and olive-green above, whitish below. Both:
2 white wing bars and white eyebrow stripe. Habitat:
Upper stories of the tallest
trees in mature deciduous forests with little understory close to water. Eggs:
17 x 13 mm, 3-5 oval, smooth with slight gloss, greyish -creamy white,
spotted, blotched with brown. Breeding pairs
generally raise one brood per year. Nest:
On horizontal branch
of tree, 20-60 ft above ground. Dainty, compact, gray, shallow structure
of fine grasses and other plant fibres finely interwoven, lined with
similar materials and bound on the outside with spider silk. Life
History: It over
winters in central and northern South America. Their spring migration takes 2
months and fall migration takes 4 months. Their range is extending into
the northeast. Similar
Species: Female
resembles the Tennessee warbler, the later lacks white wing bars. She
also resembles the fall blackpoll, but is greener above and whitish
below and has a more conspicuous eyebrow Ecological
Role: Eats
insects from the canopy. Threats:
Habitat destruction on breeding,
migration, and wintering grounds; fragmentation of existing habitats;
and environmental degradation (e.g. acid rain). What
Can You Do: Report
active nesting sites to the local OMNR. Complied by: Melanie Alkins. |
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