The Cerulean Warbler, Dendroica cerulea, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.
Adult males have pale cerulean blue upperparts and white underparts with a black necklace across the breast; they also have
black streaks on the back and flanks. Females and immature birds have greyer or greenish upperparts, a pale stripe over the eye,
and no streaking on the back and no necklace. All of theses birds, regardless of their age, have wing bars and a thin pointed
bill.
Their breeding habitats are mature deciduous forests in eastern North America. Their nests are cup-shaped, and are placed on a horizontal branch high in a
hardwood tree.
These birds migrate to forested mountain areas in South America.
They forage actively high in trees, sometimes catching insects in flight. These birds mainly eat insects.
The song of this bird is a buzzed zray zray zray zray zeeee. The call is a slurred chip.
In fragmented forest areas, this bird is vulnerable to nest parasitism by the
Brown-headed Cowbird. This bird's numbers are declining faster than any other
warbler species in the USA; its population nowadays is less than one-fifth of what it was 40 years ago [1].
References
External links
Further reading
Book
- Hamel, P. B. 2000. Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea). In The Birds of North America, No. 511 (A. Poole and
F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
- Robbins CS, Fitzpatrick JW & Hamel PB. (1992). A Warbler in Trouble Dendroica-Cerulea. In Hagan, J M Iii and D
W Johnston (Ed) Ecology and Conservation of Neotropical Migrant Landbirds; Symposium, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA,
December 6-9, 1989 Xiii+609p Smithsonian Institution Press: Washington, DC, USA; London, England, Uk Illus Maps 549-562,
1992.
Reports
- McCracken JD. (1993). Status report on the cerulean warbler, Dendroica cerulea, in Canada. Canadian Research Index. p.
n/a.
- Wyatt V. (1997). Wildlife Watchers : report on monitoring, Issue #3, 1997. Canadian Research Index. p. n/a.
- Wyatt V. (1998). Wildlife Watchers : report on monitoring, issue #4, 1998. Canadian Research Index. p. n/a.
Thesis
- Barg JJ. M.Sc. (2002). Small-scale biological phenomena in a male neotropical migrant songbird. Queen's University at
Kingston (Canada), Canada.
- Bosworth SB. M.S. (2003). Cerulean warbler relative abundance and frequency of occurrence relative to large-scale
edge. West Virginia University, United States -- West Virginia.
- Girvan MK. M.Sc. (2003). Examining dispersal and migratory connectivity in cerulean warblers (Dendroica cerulea) using
stable isotope analysis. Queen's University at Kingston (Canada), Canada.
- Gustafson DK. Ph.D. (1985). FOREST ISLAND SIZE AND MATRIX INTERACTIONS WITH AVIAN TROPHIC GROUPS IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
(BIOGEOGRAPHY). The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, United States -- Wisconsin.
- Jones J. Ph.D. (2001). Assessing conservation utility: A case study of the cerulean warbler in eastern Ontario.
Queen's University at Kingston (Canada), Canada.
- Nicholson CP. Ph.D. (2004). Ecology of the Cerulean warbler in the Cumberland Mountains of east Tennessee. The
University of Tennessee, United States -- Tennessee.
- Oliarnyk CJ. M.Sc. (1996). Habitat selection and reproductive success in a population of cerulean warblers in southeastern
Ontario. Queen's University at Kingston (Canada), Canada.
- Perkins KA. M.S. (2006). Cerulean warbler selection of forest canopy gaps. West Virginia University, United States --
West Virginia.
- Thomas L. Ph.D. (1997). Evaluation of statistical methods for estimating long-term population change from extensive
wildlife surveys. The University of British Columbia (Canada), Canada.
- Veit MM. M.Sc. (2000). A study of population genetic structure and gene flow in cerulean warblers (Dendroica cerulea) and
the implications for conservation. Queen's University at Kingston (Canada), Canada.
- Woodward RL. M.Sc. (1997). Characterization and significance of song variation in the cerulean warbler (Dendroica
cerulea). Queen's University at Kingston (Canada), Canada.
Articles
- Allen J & Islam K. (2004). Gender differences in parental feeding effort of cerulean warblers at Big Oaks National
Wildlife Refuge, Indiana. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science. vol 113, no 2. p. 162-165.
- Barg JJ, Aiama DM, Jones J & Robertson RJ. (2006). Within-territory habitat use and microhabitat-selection by male
Cerulean Warblers (Dendroica cerulea). Auk. vol 123, no 3. p. 795-806.
- Barg JJ, Jones J, Girvan MK & Robertson RJ. (2006). Within-pair interactions and parental behavior of Cerulean
Warblers breeding in eastern Ontario. Wilson Journal of Ornithology. vol 118, no 3. p. 316-325.
- Barg JJ, Jones J & Robertson RJ. (2005). Describing breeding territories of migratory passerines: suggestions for
sampling, choice of estimator, and delineation of core areas. Journal of Animal Ecology. vol 74, no 1. p.
139-149.
- Cavanagh JE, Jr. (2004). The ephemeral bluish necklace of the Cerulean Warbler. Florida Field Naturalist. vol
32, no 2. p. 56-59.
- Conner RN & Dickson JG. (1997). Relationships between bird communities and forest age, structure, species composition
and fragmentation in the West Gulf Coastal Plain. Texas Journal of Science. vol 49, no 3 SUPPL. p. 123-138.
- David AB, Melinda JW & Tiffany AB. (2006). Predicting Cerulean Warbler Habitat Use in the Cumberland Mountains of
Tennessee. Journal of Wildlife Management. vol 70, no 6. p. 1763.
- Davies C & Sharrock JTR. (2000). The European Bird Report: Passerines. British Birds. vol 93, no 9. p.
415-427.
- Decalesta DS. (1994). EFFECT OF WHITE-TAILED DEER ON SONGBIRDS WITHIN MANAGED FORESTS IN PENNSYLVANIA. Journal of
Wildlife Management. vol 58, no 4. p. 711-718.
- Dettmers R & Bart J. (1999). A GIS modeling method applied to predicting forest songbird habitat. Ecological
Applications. vol 9, no 1. p. 152-163.
- Gabbe AP, Robinson SK & Brawn JD. (2002). Tree-species preferences of foraging insectivorous birds: Implications for
floodplain forest restoration. Conservation Biology. vol 16, no 2. p. 462-470.
- Gibb CE, Jones J, Girvan MK, Barg JJ & Robertson RJ. (2005). Geographic variation in prevalence and parasitemia of
Haemoproteus paruli in the cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea). Canadian Journal of Zoology-Revue Canadienne De Zoologie.
vol 83, no 4. p. 626-629.
- Hamel PB. (2000). Cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea). Birds of North America. vol 511, p. 1-20.
- Hamel PB, Dawson DK & Keyser PD. (2004). How we can learn more about the Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica Cerulea).
Auk. vol 121, no 1. p. 7-14.
- Jones J, Barg JJ, Sillett TS, Veit ML & Robertson RJ. (2004). Minimum estimates of survival and population growth for
cerulean warblers (Dendroica Cerulea) breeding in Ontario, Canada. Auk. vol 121, no 1. p. 15-22.
- Jones J, DeBruyn RD, Barg JJ & Robertson RJ. (2001). Assessing the effects of natural disturbance on a neotropical
migrant songbird. Ecology. vol 82, no 9. p. 2628-2635.
- Jones J, Gibb CE, Millard SC, Barg JJ, Girvan MK, Veit ML, Friesen VL & Robertson RJ. (2005). Multiple selection
pressures generate adherence to Bergmann's rule in a Neotropical migratory songbird. Journal of Biogeography. vol 32,
no 10. p. 1827-1833.
- Jones J, McLeish WJ & Robertson RJ. (2000). Density influences census technique accuracy for Cerulean Warblers in
eastern Ontario. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol 71, no 1. p. 46-56.
- Jones J, McLeish WJ & Robertson RJ. (2004). Predicting the effects of Cerulean Warbler, Dendroica cerulea management
on eastern Ontario bird species. Canadian Field-Naturalist. vol 118, no 2. p. 229-234.
- Jones J, Perazzi PR, Carruthers EH & Robertson RJ. (2000). Sociality and foraging behavior of the Cerulean Warbler in
Venezuelan shade-coffee plantations. Condor. vol 102, no 4. p. 958-962.
- Jones J & Robertson RJ. (2001). Territory and nest-site selection of Cerulean Warblers in eastern Ontario. Auk.
vol 118, no 3. p. 727-735.
- Linehan JT. (1973). NEST RECORDS OF CERULEAN-WARBLER IN DELAWARE. Wilson Bulletin. vol 85, no 4. p.
482-483.
- Link WA & Sauer JR. (2002). A hierarchical analysis of population change with application to Cerulean Warblers.
Ecology. vol 83, no 10. p. 2832-2840.
- Oliarnyk CJ & Robertson RJ. (1996). Breeding behavior and reproductive success of Cerulean Warblers in southeastern
Ontario. Wilson Bulletin. vol 108, no 4. p. 673-684.
- Parker TAI. (1994). Habitat, behavior, and spring migration of cerulean warbler in Belize. American Birds. vol
48, no 1. p. 70-75.
- Robinson SK, Fitzpatrick JW & Terborgh J. (1995). Distribution and habitat use of neotropical migrant landbirds in the
Amazon basin and Andes. Bird Conservation International. vol 5, no 2-3. p. 305-323.
- Rogers CM. (2006). Nesting success and breeding biology of Cerulean Warblers in Michigan. Wilson Journal of
Ornithology. vol 118, no 2. p. 145-151.
- Sallabanks R, Walters JR & Collazo JA. (2000). Breeding bird abundance in bottomland hardwood forests: Habitat, edge,
and patch size effects. Condor. vol 102, no 4. p. 748-758.
- Sample BE, Cooper RJ & Whitmore RC. (1993). DIETARY SHIFTS AMONG SONGBIRDS FROM A DIFLUBENZURON-TREATED FOREST.
Condor. vol 95, no 3. p. 616-624.
- Sewell J. (1994). Second June sighting of Cerulean warbler in the Atlanta area. Oriole. vol 59, no 4. p.
101-102.
- Skadsen M. (1992). Cerulean Warbler at Newton Hills State Park. South Dakota Bird Notes. vol 44, no 1. p.
15-16.
- Skinner C. (2003). A breeding bird survey of the natural areas at Holden Arboretum. Ohio Journal of Science. vol
103, no 4. p. 98-110.
- Stoleson SH, Kirschbaum KJ, Frank J & Atwood CJ. (2004). From the field: Integrating GPS, GIS, and avian call-response
surveys using pocket PCs. Wildlife Society Bulletin. vol 32, no 4. p. 1309-1312.
- Thogmartin WE, Sauer JR & Knutson MG. (2004). A hierarchical spatial model of avian abundance with application to
Cerulean Warblers. Ecological Applications. vol 14, no 6. p. 1766-1779.
- Veit ML, Robertson RJ, Hamel PB & Friesen VL. (2005). Population genetic structure and dispersal across a fragmented
landscape in cerulean warblers (Dendroica cerulea). Conservation Genetics. vol 6, no 2. p. 159-174.
- Villard M-A & Maurer BA. (1996). Geostatistics as a tool for examining hypothesized declines in migratory
songbirds. Ecology. vol 77, no 1. p. 59-68.
- Weakland CA & Wood PB. (2005). Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea) microhabitat and landscape-level habitat
characteristics in southern west Virginia. Auk. vol 122, no 2. p. 497-508.
- Wiedenfeld DA & Wiedenfeld MG. (1995). Large kill of neotropical migrants by tornado and storm in Louisiana, April
1993. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol 66, no 1. p. 70-80.
- Wood PB, Bosworth SB & Dettmers R. (2006). Cerulean warbler abundance and occurrence relative to large-scale edge and
habitat characteristics. Condor. vol 108, no 1. p. 154-165.
- Wood PB, Duguay JP & Nichols JV. (2005). Cerulean warbler use of regenerated clearcut and two-age harvests.
Wildlife Society Bulletin. vol 33, no 3. p. 851-858.
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