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Cerulean Warbler

Setophaga cerulea · New World Warblers

Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea)
(c) Matt Schenck, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Schenck · CC BY · via iNaturalist

Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) is in the New World Warblers family (Parulidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 2,445 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in May.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: seasonal. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

Conservation status (iNaturalist): NT.

When to photograph Cerulean Warbler: observations by month (U.S.)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

About Cerulean Warbler

The cerulean warbler (Setophaga cerulea) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. Adult males have pale cerulean blue and white upperparts with a black necklace across the breast and black streaks on the back and flanks. Females and immature birds have greyer or greenish upperparts, a pale stripe over the eye, and no streaking on the back and no neck. All of these birds have wing bars and a thin pointed bill. They...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Cerulean Warbler by state

StateObservationsPeak monthMain season
Texas328AprilApr–Apr
Ohio250MayMay–May
New York187MayMay–May
Virginia187MayMay–May
Pennsylvania186MayMay–May
Maryland135MayMay–Jun
Illinois121MayApr–May
Michigan116MayMay–Jun
Wisconsin95MayMay–May
Tennessee85AprilApr–Jun
Kentucky80MayApr–May
Florida77AugustAug–Sep
Massachusetts60MayMay–Jun
Indiana58MayMay–May
Missouri57MayMay–Jun
West Virginia54MayMay–Jun
Alabama50AugustAug–Sep
New Jersey45MayMay–Jun
Vermont41MayMay–May
Louisiana38AprilApr–Apr
Minnesota37MayMay–Jun
North Carolina30MayApr–Jun
Georgia28AugustAug–Sep
Connecticut27MayMay–May
Arkansas16MayMay–Jul
Iowa12MayMay–May
Mississippi12AprilApr–Apr
District of Columbia8AprilApr–Apr
Rhode Island6MayMay–May
Delaware5AugustAug–Aug

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (New World Warblers)

Photography tips

  • Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
  • Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
  • Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
  • Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Cerulean Warbler?
Nationally, May has the most observations, with the main season from April to May.
Where is Cerulean Warbler most often seen?
The most observations come from Texas, Ohio, New York.