Birdsong field guide
Worm-eating Warbler
Helmitheros vermivorum
A cryptically colored, ground-nesting warbler of the forest understory, best identified by its bold black-and-buff striped crown.
What it sounds like
A rapid, dry, insect-like trill lasting about two seconds, similar to a Chipping Sparrow but flatter in tone.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Field notes
- Despite its name, its diet consists primarily of caterpillars and spiders rather than earthworms.
- It possesses a specialized, heavy bill used to probe and pry open curled, dead leaves where prey hides.
- It is one of the few New World warblers that nests exclusively on the ground, often on steep, wooded slopes.
- Unlike many of its relatives, this species lacks wing bars, tail spots, and bright yellow or blue plumage.
- The species is highly sensitive to forest fragmentation and requires large, contiguous tracts of mature deciduous forest to breed.
Habitat
Mature deciduous or mixed forests with dense undergrowth and heavy leaf litter, frequently near ravines.
Range
Breeds across the Eastern United States; winters in Central America and the Caribbean.
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