Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca (Müller, 1776)S3B (State watchlist breeder)    Synonyms: BLBW.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Chordata   >   Class Aves   >   Order Passeriformes   >   Family Parulidae   >   Genus Setophaga   

Description:

Conspicuous in adult male is a fiery orange throat, broad white wing patch, and triangular dark ear patch. Coloration in adult female and immature is more muted. The song is a short series of high notes followed by an ascending trill ending in a very high note.

Where to find:

Occurs throughout Maryland during spring and fall migration. Breeds in the western Maryland mountains. "Breeding birds are locally common in extensive stands of mature hemlock at elevations above 2,200 feet....It [Blackburnian] was undoubtedly common in the mature spruce forest that covered many Garrett County bogs before the close of the nineteenth century, but today so few mature spruces remain that the Blackburnian Warbler is confined largely to hemlock stands" (Robbins and Blom, 1996). Generally stays in the upper branches.

Relationships:

"The old-growth hemlock stand along the Youghiogheny River in Swallow Falls State Park [Garrett County] is one of the best places for finding Blackburnian Warblers.... [N]umbers [of breeding Blackburnians in Maryland] have almost certainly declined as mature spruce trees have been cut and fragmentation of mature eastern hemlock groves has continued.... [T]he Blackburnian does not defend territories with only one or two spruce trees; it requires extensive old-growth forest...." (Robbins and Blom, 1996). Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism is another major reason for the decline.

There are 335 records in the project database.

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A Blackburnian Warbler in Garrett Co., Maryland (5/21/2013). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Garrett Co., Maryland (5/3/2017). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Garrett Co., Maryland (6/19/2015). Photo by Tim Carney. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler on Assateague Island, Maryland (5/14/2010). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (10/2/2017). Photo by Daniel Irons. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Garrett Co., Maryland (8/5/2012). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Garrett Co., Maryland (8/6/2012). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (9/1/2018). Photo by Daniel Irons. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in None Specified Co., Maryland (9/16/2019). Photo by Jim Stasz. (MBP list)

Blackburnian Warbler in Baltimore Co., Maryland (5/18/2020). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Cecil Co., Maryland (9/10/2017). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

Blackburnian Warbler in Howard Co., Maryland (5/8/2022). (c) Tim Frye, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Tim Frye via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A migrant Blackburnian Warbler in Caroline Co., Maryland (9/22/2013). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Blackburnian Warbler in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (9/20/2020). (c) Jonathan Irons, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jonathan Irons. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Frederick Co., Maryland (9/8/2017). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Garrett Co., Maryland (8/30/2020). Photo by Jim Stasz. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Allegany Co., Maryland (9/4/2017). Photo by Jim Stasz. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Garrett Co., Maryland (5/20/2017). Photo by Kevin Heffernan. (MBP list)

Blackburnian Warbler in Cecil Co., Maryland (10/3/2022). (c) Jonathan Irons, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jonathan Irons. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler on Cape Cod, Massachusetts (5/13/2012). Photo by Jeremiah Trimble. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Plymouth, Massachusetts (5/6/2012). Photo by Jeremiah Trimble. (MBP list)

Blackburnian Warbler in Cecil Co., Maryland (8/17/2022). (c) Jonathan Irons, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jonathan Irons. (MBP list)

Blackburnian Warbler in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/21/2022). (c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Stephen John Davies via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Blackburnian Warbler in Baltimore Co., Maryland (5/24/2017). Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)


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