Wilson's warbler is a small New World warbler. It is greenish above and yellow below, with rounded wings and a long, slim tail. The male has a black crown patch; depending on the subspecies, that mark is reduced or absent in the female. It breeds across Canada and south through the western United States, and winters from Mexico south through much of Central America. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
Region
North and Central America
Typical Environment
Breeds widely across boreal Canada, Alaska, and parts of the western and northeastern United States, favoring willow and alder thickets near water. During migration it passes through much of the United States and northern Mexico, using riparian corridors, edges, and shrubby habitats. In winter it occupies dense undergrowth from Mexico through Central America to Panama, including second-growth, forest edges, and shaded coffee farms. It is an occasional vagrant to the Caribbean and very rarely to western Europe.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3000 m
Climate Zone
Other
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Wilson's warbler is a tiny, hyperactive New World warbler best known for the male’s neat black cap that looks like a little beanie. It constantly flicks its tail and moves through low shrubs as it forages. The species is named after the ornithologist Alexander Wilson and is a long‑distance migrant between North America and the tropics.
Wilson's warbler in a tree in New York
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile, low, darting flights
Social Behavior
On the breeding grounds it is territorial; the male sings to defend a small area while the female builds a nest on or near the ground in dense cover. Pairs are typically monogamous for the season. During migration and in winter it often joins mixed-species flocks and forages with other small insectivores.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
The song is a rapid, chattering series of bright notes, often rendered as chi-chi-chi-chi-chi that may descend slightly. Calls include sharp, dry chips and a thin tsk used in contact and alarm.
Plumage
Olive-green upperparts with bright yellow underparts; rounded wings and a slim tail often flicked. Males show a crisp black crown patch; females and immatures have reduced, smudgy, or no cap and are duller overall. Wings are plain without bars.
Diet
Primarily eats small insects and their larvae, including caterpillars, beetles, flies, and leafhoppers, as well as spiders. It glean-hovers among leaves and twigs, plucks prey from foliage, and occasionally sallies to catch flying insects. Berries or nectar are taken rarely, mostly during migration or winter when insects are scarce.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense shrubs and low canopy, especially willow and alder thickets along streams and bogs. In winter it favors tangled understory and edges in humid forests and shade-grown coffee plantations.
