Birdsong field guide
Blue-winged Warbler
Vermivora cyanoptera
A small, vibrant songbird of the New World warbler family, recognized by its bright yellow body, blue-gray wings, and sharp black eye-line.
What it sounds like
A dry, buzzy, two-part song often described as 'beee-buzzzz,' where the second note is lower and raspier.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
0:00 / 0:34
Field notes
- Known to frequently hybridize with the Golden-winged Warbler, producing offspring known as Brewster's or Lawrence's warblers.
- Possesses a specialized, slender bill adapted for probing into curled leaves and dead foliage clusters to find insects.
- Often forages acrobatically, sometimes hanging upside down like a chickadee to reach the undersides of leaves.
- Its population has historically expanded northward, often displacing the Golden-winged Warbler through competition and genetic introgression.
- Nests are typically constructed on or very close to the ground, often hidden at the base of a shrub or within dense herbaceous cover.
Habitat
Early-successional shrublands, abandoned fields, and brushy forest edges.
Range
Breeds in the Eastern United States and Southern Ontario; winters in Central America.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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