Bird of the Week: Cape May Warbler

September 26, 2022 

This small, tiger striped warbler lives an incredible double life: it winters in the Caribbean where it inhabits a variety of trees, and during the summer breeding season heads for northern boreal forests where it specifically nests and feeds in mature spruce trees. During winter it feeds on a variety of foods including insects, nectar, and fruits. There have even been sightings of them piercing grapes with their beak to drink their juice, using their long tubular tongues. In the breeding season they feed on insects and are especially dependent on the spruce budworm, which accounts for over half their diet. They even lay more eggs than many other warblers, which allows their population to rapidly expand on years that spruce budworms emerge in large numbers. Make sure to visit you local Metroparks during migration season to get a glimpse at these incredible birds as they move between their summer and winter homes!

Listen to the Cape May Warbler’s call here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cape_May_Warbler/sounds