Mourning Warbler

Geothlypis philadelphia

Some birds are born to wander. Because Mourning Warblers require brushy habitats and immature woodlands, they will leave a region they may have used for 5 to 10 years because the trees have reached a stage of maturity that is no longer suitable for their purposes.

These birds leave their winter homes in the tropics of Central America, and northwestern South America, to breed in North America, where their range stretches from northeast British Columbia and Alberta through the Great Lakes region of Canada and the USA, and continues to Canada’s Maritime Provinces and the northeastern USA.

Mourning Warblers are monotypic (i.e. there are no recognised subspecies).

South Padre Island provided me with my first and best meetings with Mourning Warblers during my visit in the spring of 2021 and then again in the fall of 2022. Earlier in the spring of 2022, I had a brief meeting with one of these birds along the AlCan Highway in British Columbia. I found them to be another tricky bird to photograph, because of their tendency to remain near the ground in thick understory. Research shows they also love to place their nests on the ground in concealed locations.

Range Map for Mourning Warbler
Range Map

18 Photos

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