Blackburnian Warbler – Dendroica fusca

The Blackburnian Warbler – Dendroica fusca, is a beautiful bird that travels great distances twice a year between the northern and Central and South parts of North America. They are long-distance migrants. It is tiny, measures between 10 and 12 centimeters, and weighs only 14 grams. It is not easy to find, but the vibrant orange color of its neck can give it away among the foliage.

It feeds mainly on insects that it looks for among the trees but also catches them on the fly. It spends its winters in Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and during the summer, it flies north to the United States and Canada, where it breeds.

Although I have lived in the United States for more than 20 years, I have never seen it while walking in the woods. It breeds in the upper part of the conifer trees, and it’s hard to find.

In my visits to Colombia, I have seen them twice. In 2018, I found them in the department of Risaralda and again in March 2022, in the municipality of Jardín, just before they began their return journey north.

They prefer to feed during the day and fly at night during their migration. As they cross the Atlantic Ocean, they can fly without stopping. They only fly 40 kilometers each day when they cross over the continent.