| The adult male Magnolia Warbler has a crown of bluish gray with a line over the eye, two wing bars, white tail black back yellow with striking black bars underneath. The color of the female is subdued and the stripes on the underparts are greatly reduced. The Magnolia Warbler is a sluggish, slow-moving warbler usually found moving about at low heights rather than among the treetops. Though beautifully colored, its song is only mediocre.
The Magnolia Warbler is one of the more common warblers. However, in summer it is seldom seen far from its wooded habitat. It is called "Magnolia" because the bird that first described the species was collected from a magnolia tree. However, the favored habitat is pastureland studded with new-growth evergreens and bordered by heavier woods, rather than in well-shaded woods.
The nest construction begins about the first week of June and is saddled on the limb of a small conifer, usually out from the trunk, effectively concealed by a bough above. The nest is well built and made of fine twigs and stems, and lined with delicate grasses or fine rootlets.
This warbler breeds north across Canada and south the mountains of Virginia and central Michigan. It generally appears before mid-May, but the main arrival is later. Migration back to southern Mexico and south to Panama occurs through September.
Length: 5 inches
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