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New World warblers


There are about 118 species of New World warblers (also sometimes called wood-warblers ), they are found only in North and South America. They are mostly small birds, smaller than sparrows, that live in woodlands and use their delicately built bills to catch insects. Warblers mostly live and forage in trees, although a few species are found mostly on the ground. Males are usually brightly colored and patterned during the breeding season, whereas females are drab. Warbler species have distinctive calls that males use to attract females to breeding territories.

Many warblers are long-distance migrators, breeding in temperate areas in the warm months and traveling to tropical areas for the winter. For example, blackpoll warblers breed as far north as Alaska and winter in northern South America. Individuals can live up to 8 years old and twice each year they travel thousands of miles between breeding and wintering areas. Populations of many warblers in North America have declined as a result of habitat destruction in both breeding and wintering areas and in areas along their migratory routes.

University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyNational Science Foundation

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. "Parulidae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed July 17, 2019 at


University of Michigan