Cape May warbler

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Cape May warbler
Dendroica tigrina FWS.jpg
Male
Cape May Warbler RWD3.jpg
Female
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Setophaga
Species:
S. tigrina
Binomial name
Setophaga tigrina
(Gmelin, 1789)
Dendroica tigrina map.svg
Range of S. tigrina
  Breeding range
  Wintering range
Synonyms

Dendroica tigrina

The Cape May warbler (Setophaga tigrina) is a species of New World warbler. It breeds in northern North America. Its breeding range spans all but the westernmost parts of southern Canada, the Great Lakes region, and New England. It is migratory, wintering in the West Indies. This species is a very rare vagrant to western Europe, with two records in Britain as of October 2013. The English name refers to Cape May, New Jersey, where George Ord collected the specimen later described by Alexander Wilson. This species was not recorded again in Cape May for another 100 years, although it is now known as an uncommon migrant there. [2]

Contents

Etymology

The genus name Setophaga is from Ancient Greek ses, "moth," and phagos, "eating", and the specific tigrina is Latin for "tiger-striped" from tigris, "tiger". [3]

Description

South Padre Island - Texas Cape May Warbler 2.jpg
South Padre Island - Texas

This bird is a small passerine and is a mid-sized New World warbler. Length can vary from 12–14 cm (4.7–5.5 in), wingspan is 19–22 cm (7.5–8.7 in), and body mass can range from 9–17.3 g (0.32–0.61 oz). [2] [4] [5] Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 6.1–7.3 cm (2.4–2.9 in), the tail is 4.3–5 cm (1.7–2.0 in), the bill is 0.9–1.2 cm (0.35–0.47 in) and the tarsus is 1.7–1.9 cm (0.67–0.75 in). [6] The adult male Cape May warbler has a brown back, yellowish rump and dark brown crown. The underparts are yellow streaked with black, giving rise to the bird's scientific name. The throat and nape are bright yellow and the face has a striking chestnut patch framed in yellow with a black eyestripe. [7] There is a narrow white wing bar.

Plumages of the female and immature male resemble washed-out versions of the adult male, lacking the strong head pattern. The yellowish rump, and at least indications of the white wing bar, are always present.

Biology

This species is insectivorous and lays larger clutches in years when spruce budworm is abundant. It picks insects from the tips of conifer branches or flies out to catch insects. The Cape May warbler also feeds on berry juice and nectar in winter, and has, uniquely for a warbler, a tubular tongue to facilitate this behavior. [2]

The breeding habitat of this bird is the edges of coniferous woodland. Cape May warblers nest in dense foliage near the trunk of the tree, commonly the black spruce, and lay 4–9 eggs in a cup nest. This species can lay the largest clutch of any New World warbler, probably in response to increases in the numbers of spruce budworm during outbreaks. [2]

The song of the Cape May warbler is a simple repetition of high tsi notes. The call is a thin sip. This bird usually sings from high perches. [2]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-rumped warbler</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audubon's warbler</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackburnian warbler</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackpoll warbler</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-sided warbler</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-sided warbler is a New World warbler. They breed in eastern North America and in southern Canada westwards to the Canadian Prairies. They also breed in the Great Lakes region and in the eastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnolia warbler</span> Species of bird

The magnolia warbler is a member of the wood warbler family Parulidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay-breasted warbler</span> Species of bird

The bay-breasted warbler is a small species of songbird in the New World warbler family, Parulidae. It is one of thirty-four species in the diverse genus Setophaga. Like all songbirds, or passerines, the species is classified in the order Passeriformes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern parula</span> Species of bird

The northern parula is a small New World warbler. It breeds in eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-and-white warbler</span> Species of New World warbler

The black-and-white warbler is a species of New World warbler, and the only member of its genus, Mniotilta. It breeds in northern and eastern North America and winters in Florida, Central America, and the West Indies down to Peru. This species is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hooded warbler</span> Species of bird

The hooded warbler is a New World warbler. It breeds in eastern North America across the eastern United States and into southernmost Canada (Ontario). It is migratory, wintering in Central America and the West Indies. Hooded warblers are very rare vagrants to western Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American redstart</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee warbler</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-throated green warbler</span> Species of bird

The black-throated green warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-throated warbler</span> Species of bird

The yellow-throated warbler is a small migratory songbird species in the New World warbler family (Parulidae) found in temperate North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Townsend's warbler</span> Species of bird

Townsend's warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace's warbler</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermit warbler</span> Species of bird

The hermit warbler is a small perching bird. It is a species of New World warbler or wood-warbler. They are a migratory bird, the breeding range spanning the majority of the west coast of the United States. Their winter range includes parts of Mexico and Central America as well as parts of the southern California coast.

<i>Setophaga</i> Genus of birds

Setophaga is a genus of birds of the New World warbler family Parulidae. It contains at least 33 species. The males in breeding plumage are often highly colorful. The Setophaga warblers are an example of adaptive radiation with the various species using different feeding techniques and often feeding in different parts of the same tree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vitelline warbler</span> Species of New World Warbler

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References

  1. BirdLife International (2021). "Setophaga tigrina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T22721670A137276381. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Cape May Warbler". All About Birds. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  3. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London, United Kingdom: Christopher Helm. pp.  355, 385. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. Raffaele, Herbert; Wiley, James; Garrido, Orlando H.; Keith, Allan; Raffaele, Janis I. (2010). Birds of the West Indies . Princeton University Press. pp.  166–. ISBN   978-0-691-11319-7.
  5. Taylor, Walter Kingsley (1973). "Black-Throated Blue and Cape May Warblers Killed in Central Florida" (PDF). Journal of Field Ornithology. 44 (4): 258–266. doi:10.2307/4511981. JSTOR   4511981.
  6. Curson, Jon; Quinn, David; Beadle, David (1994). New World Warblers. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN   0-7136-3932-6.
  7. "Cape May Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2021-10-15.