Cape May Warbler

Setophaga tigrina

Tiger-striped face, brush-tipped tongue for sipping nectar. Booms during spruce budworm outbreaks and quiets between.

Population: ~7 million mature individuals (2019 estimate); increasing (~33% growth over prior decade per BirdLife DataZone, though statistically non-significant)
Habitat: Breeds in mature boreal spruce-fir forest (25-75 year old stands, medium forest dependency); winters in subtropical/tropical moist lowland forests, shrubby gardens, coffee plantations, parks, and occasionally urban areas/plantations across the West Indies
Fun fact: The Cape May Warbler is the only New World warbler with a curled, semi-tubular tongue, which it uses to lap up nectar and fruit juice on its Caribbean wintering grounds.
Range: Breeds across northern North America (southern Canada, Great Lakes region, and New England); winters primarily in the West Indies/Caribbean (Bahamas, Greater Antilles), with BirdLife DataZone noting occasional non-breeding range extending into parts of Central America and northern South America
Diet: Primarily insects during breeding season (spruce budworm can make up half or more of the diet, plus spiders, beetles, wasps); in winter shifts to fruit/berry juice and nectar, aided by a unique curled/semi-tubular tongue among New World warblers
Size: 0.13 m
Wingspan: 0.205 m
Lifespan: 4 years

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