Bird of the Week
This masked musician is a small, vibrant songbird native to the eastern United States and Central America. Known for its striking plumage, distinctive vocalizations, and tail-flicking behavior, this forest dweller only eats insects. They are in constant motion, hopping along low branches to glean spiders, beetles, caterpillars and grasshoppers
The Hooded Warbler has a clever foraging trick, the flick of the tail. Both male and females flick their tail and fan it open to reveal bright white feathers which helps flush out insects.
They fly across or around the Gulf of Mexico to winter in Central America and the Caribbean. Unlike most mirgants, males and females defend completely separate winter territories; males choose mature forests, while females use scrubby brush.
Hooded Warblers nest very close to the ground (under 5 feet) in bushes and shrubs. The nest is an open cup made from leaves and bark. Because they nest low in the understory, they are frequent targets of the parasitic Brown-headed Cowbird who lay eggs in the warbler’s nest, forcing the warbler parents to raise their young.
Their song is a series of musical notes, which sound like: wheeta wheeta whee-tee-oh, for which a common mnemonic is “The red, the red T-shirt” or “Come to the woods or you won’t see me”.
In areas with protected woodlands or recovering wooded habitat, the Hooded Warbler population is stable and possibly increasing!
Past Issues of the RCC Bird Watch and Wonder
Each adult cares for half the brood for up to five weeks. The female usually builds the nest. Males attain their hood at about 9–12 months of age. Hooded Warblers possess the largest eyes of any warbler species. Male Hooded Warblers frequently return to the exact same breeding spot year after year. Males can recognize the unique songs of their neighbors from year to year thus they save energy defending their territories against actual intruders rather than known neighbors. Females have duller yellow feathers to help with camouflage. Once hatched, nestlings grown up in a little over one week! They will often catch flying insects on the wing. Click here to watch a male checking things out. Click here to watch/hear one singing.
Hooded Warbler Fun Facts