The return of warblers to the North Country is always a sure sign that spring is on its way, although a couple species can make an appearance even as winter is still holding on.
Our two earliest warbler arrivals are pretty predictable and can differ from year-to-year.
Sometimes, it’s the distinctive chip of the yellow-rumped warbler that first grabs my attention on a sunny, mild day in late April. This year, by contrast, it was the trill of the pine warbler that first signaled the season of the warblers had arrived around our house on the edge of the Lost Lake Swamp.
Like most members of this colorful and distinctive family of birds, known as the Parulidae, the pine warbler is a habitat specialist and as its name suggests it spends its life in pines.
Yet unlike most others in this large family of what are generally neotropical insect gleaners, the pine warbler spends its life within the confines of the U.S. and portions of southern Canada. They spend winter in the pine forests of the southern U.S. and some remain in those forests year-round, breeding there as well. Most of them head north, however, with some reaching the North Country each year, near the northwestern-most tip of their summer range.
For most warblers, winter, even in the southern U.S. is harsher than they could survive, since cold outbreaks could largely send their primary food source into hiding. The pine warbler has adapted to these conditions, with a shorter, slightly stubbier peak and a larger crop that allows them to survive on seeds to a much greater extent than other warblers. That includes pine seeds, but also the types of seeds found in most bird seed mixes, like sunflower, millet, peanuts, and cracked corn. While most other warblers will set foot in a bird feeder only for a moment to see what the excitement is all about, pine warblers can become regular feeder users this time of year in our region.
The one pictured on the previous page has been a regular at our feeder for the past few weeks as the typically cool April conditions kept any insect life well under cover. It’s been happily feeding on sunflower seeds since late April.
Pine warblers aren’t the most colorful members of their family, but they do stand out this time of year after months of looking at our limited fare of winter residents. They’re pretty easily identified by their yellow throat, streaked chest, olive back, and prominent wing bars.
An early arrival, such as anytime in April, is another good indicator you’re dealing with a pine warbler. The yellow-rumped warbler looks nothing like its piney cousin.
Once the bugs come out for real, our local pine warblers will likely disappear for the summer. They’ll still be around, and can still occasionally be heard singing their mechanical trill from the tops of tall pine, but you’ll need to crane your neck and look very hard to spot them. So enjoy them while you can.