The Spring Warbler Migration
- M B
- May 17
- 3 min read
Every year in spring, a magical event happens.
One day in spring, in the early morning sun, when you can start to feel the first warmth of the day, you also notice something different. There are many songs coming from the trees, new, energetic songs! You notice some quick movement in the treetops and bring your binoculars to your eyes, then suddenly from a nearby shrub, a bubbly, rolling song breaks forth, and a small yellow bird hops into view. The yellow warbler is very active and leaves you with only a few seconds of excitement before disappearing. But you know, with a swelling happiness bubbling up inside you, that it has begun. The spring warbler migration has arrived, and you feel obliged to warble out your own, sweet song to the world.
The warblers, these tiny, energetic birds fly thousands of miles from South and Central America, and the Caribbean, and travel as far north as Canada for their summer nesting. The Blackpoll warbler has been recorded to migrate up to 12,400 miles! Warblers do their migrating during the nighttime.
On the way north, they will stop for a day or two at locations across the country to feed and rest. How long they stay at a spot depends mainly on the weather.
The migration for your area will depend on where you live, in the Great Lakes region where I am, the migration arrives somewhere late April/early May. If you want to stay up to date on the migration, check out birdcast.info, a wonderful website that tracks spring migrations.
This is one of my favorite times to be out in the woods looking for them. Many warblers in spring wear bright, flashy colors making it easier to identify them.
Tips for Finding Spring Warblers
The good news is that usually you won’t have to travel too far to find the warblers, there are roughly 53 species of warblers in North America, and they enjoy a wide range of habitats, from the low branches of shrubs to the tops of the trees.
They are an amazing group of birds, adaptable to a variety of habitats. If you can find public lands with a diverse habitat; old forest, open bushy area, and swampy growth, and hopefully a stream nearby, this will give you some of the best birding opportunity to find the widest range of warblers in one area. Wearing natural, earthy-colored clothes helps to blend in, not being loud (obviously), and having patience will be key in getting the most out of your warbling adventure.
Warblers, it seems, are always on the move. Look for any kind of flashes of bright color or quick movements in the trees. Another option is to you find an open area in the woods and wait; it probably won’t be long. Warblers keep moving from tree to tree, and sometimes as a group. You may spot two or three different warblers at once!
Respecting the Birds
I highly discourage using the ‘pishing’ method to draw in curious warblers. This method is where the birder makes a ‘shushing’ noise with a ‘p’ in front to get warblers to come to their position. These little birds have just traveled thousands of miles and need rest and lots of food. Distracting them just to get an easy look is selfish.
We should be just another tree in the forest,
watching and smiling as we watch them flitter nervously about the forest, stopping for a moment to warble out their songs, before continuing on their quest for food.
I hope you find time to step out in nature and experience the magic of birding during the spring warbler migration. May it give you many warm days and happy memories!
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