Cape May Warbler

Setophaga tigrina

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesForestCup nestTiny · 10 g

What the Cape May Warbler sounds like

Sonogram of the Cape May Warbler: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Song · Bear Head Lake State Park, St. Louis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

This bird is a small passerine and is a mid-sized New World warbler. Length can vary from 12–14 cm (4.7–5.5 in), wingspan is 19–22 cm (7.5–8.7 in), and body mass can range from 9–17.3 g (0.32–0.61 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 6.1–7.3 cm (2.4–2.9 in), the tail is 4.3–5 cm (1.7–2.0 in), the bill is 0.9–1.2 cm (0.35–0.47 in) and the tarsus is 1.7–1.9 cm (0.67–0.75 in). The adult male Cape May warbler has a brown back, yellowish rump and dark brown crown. The underparts are yellow streaked with black, giving rise to the bird's scientific name.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Cape May Warbler

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 5 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Cape May Warbler

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 32 countries with regular records, and 9 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, Iceland, Martinique, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Barthélemy, St. Vincent & Grenadines.

About the Cape May Warbler

The Cape May warbler is a species of New World warbler. It breeds in northern North America. Its breeding range spans all but the westernmost parts of southern Canada, the Great Lakes region, and New England. It is migratory, wintering in the West Indies. This species is a very rare vagrant to western Europe, with two records in Britain as of October 2013. The English name refers to Cape May, New Jersey, where George Ord collected the specimen that was later described by Alexander Wilson.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Cape May Warbler vs Prairie Warbler · Cape May Warbler vs Hooded Warbler · Bay-breasted Warbler vs Cape May Warbler · Black-throated Grey Warbler vs Cape May Warbler

Learn the Cape May Warbler in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.