Usually first noticed by a ringing “weeta, weeta, weeteeo”
song, a Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) sighting highlights almost any bird walk in the Connecticut
woods. Hooded Warblers reach the
northern edge of their breeding range here in Connecticut (although there is a
breeding population in southern Ontario), generally arriving during the first
week of May and setting up housekeeping almost immediately.
Adult male Hooded Warblers are unmistakable with a bright
yellow face surrounded by a black hood and with all yellow undersides. None of the other yellow-faced,
black-throated warblers (such as Black-throated Green) have completely yellow
undersides. Fully adult females show at
least the outline of the black hood, although first year females are rather
non-descript and might be confused with females of several other species. However, their habit of distinctively
flashing large white spots on the tail confirms the identification.
Male Hooded Warbler
Female Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warblers were once common along the coast of
Connecticut, according to early accounts, but there are virtually no recent
eBird reports from the coastal area during nesting season over the past 10
years. Clearly this is a result of
intensive coastal area development. Although
listed by the IUCN as a species of least concern and with increasing population
rangewide, the species might become rarer in Connecticut as nesting habitat of mature
mixed forest with dense understory and canopy openings is lost. Conceivably, some targeted habitat management,
such as selective logging, may be appropriate and relatively simple.
The combination of habitat availability and the northern limits
of their range focuses Hooded Warbler breeding into an east/west band across the
middle of Connecticut. Reliable, and
accessible, locations in eastern Connecticut include the Connecticut Audubon’s
Trail Woods Sanctuary in Pomfret and Hurd State Park in East Haddam. In western Connecticut, good spots are Naugatuck
State Forest in Naugatuck and Bent of the River Sanctuary in Southbury.
Hooded Warbler Nesting Habitat
Recent DNA research has resulted in Hooded Warblers, along
with 33 other wood warblers, being classified in the single genus Setophaga (“moth eaters”). Hooded Warblers were formerly joined with
Wilson’s Warbler and Canada Warbler in the genus Wilsonia; however, based
on the DNA research, they may actually be more closely related to the American
Redstart.
This bird is a real gem to come across when walking in the woods. Look, and listen, for it on your next walk.
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