Birds
Blackburnian Warbler
Setophaga fusca · also called blackburnian warblers, firethroat
High in the dark green canopy of a spruce forest, a small patch of flame-orange catches the light, and a careful look upward reveals a male Blackburnian warbler, its glowing throat giving the species its well-earned nickname of firethroat.
Overview
The Blackburnian warbler, Setophaga fusca, is a strikingly coloured songbird native to conifer and mixed forest canopy across Canada, the northeastern United States, and higher-elevation Appalachian forests. Its brilliant flame-orange throat, canopy-dwelling habits that make it genuinely hard to spot, and dependence on Andean cloud forest for winter survival make it one of the most visually dramatic yet elusive warblers in North America.
Fire hiding in the treetops
Despite carrying one of the most vividly coloured throats of any North American warbler, the Blackburnian spends so much time high in the conifer canopy that many birders hear its thin, high song long before ever actually seeing the fire it’s named for.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable conifer and mixed forest habitat, though dependent on continued forest health on its Andean cloud forest wintering grounds.
Blackburnian Warbler: common questions
Why is the Blackburnian warbler nicknamed the firethroat?
An adult male displays a vivid, flame-orange throat and face set against contrasting black-and-white body markings, a combination bright enough against the dark green conifer canopy it inhabits to have earned the species the nickname firethroat among birders.
Why is the Blackburnian warbler hard to spot?
This species nests and forages predominantly in the upper canopy of conifer and mixed forest, often staying high above where observers on the ground can easily view it, making a good look at its striking colouration something of a challenge even for experienced birders.
Where does the Blackburnian warbler spend the winter?
It migrates to wintering grounds in the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains in South America, a habitat considerably different in structure and elevation from the northern conifer forest it breeds in during summer.
Why can some people barely hear the Blackburnian warbler's song?
This species produces an extremely high, thin song that sits near the upper range of human hearing, and since sensitivity to high frequencies naturally declines with age, some listeners, particularly older birders, find the song difficult or impossible to hear clearly.