Wood-Warblers

Black-throated Blue Warbler, Dendroica caerulescens

Family Parulidae (Wood-Warblers)

Size: 5"

Season: Summer

Habitat: Upland woodlands with dense undergrowth

The black-throated blue warbler is a compact, thick-necked warbler with striking sexual dimorphism. The male is steely blue above and white below with a black face, throat, sides, and flanks. The female is drab, olive gray above and pale olive yellow below, with a dark auricular patch and a thin, white supercilium and lower eye-arc. Noticeable in flight or while perched, the white wing patch at the base of the primaries is unique among warblers. They forage primarily for insects in the lower canopy and sing a series of high-pitched, raspy ze-ze-zhweee notes, accented and higher at the end. The breeding male (bottom) and female (above) are illustrated.