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Wilson's Warbler

Cardellina pusilla · New World Warblers

Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) is in the New World Warblers family (Parulidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 22,300 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in May.

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

When to photograph Wilson's Warbler: observations by month (U.S.)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

About Wilson's Warbler

Wilson's warbler (Cardellina pusilla) is a small New World warbler. It is greenish above and yellow below, with rounded wings and a long, slim tail. The male has a black crown patch; depending on the subspecies, that mark is reduced or absent in the female. It breeds across Canada and south through the western United States, and winters from Mexico south through much of Central America. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Wilson's Warbler by state

StateObservationsPeak monthMain season
California8,142MayApr–Jun
Texas3,644SeptemberSep–Sep
Arizona1,528MayApr–May
Oregon1,082MayApr–May
Washington1,040MayMay–May
New Mexico965SeptemberSep–Sep
Colorado951SeptemberAug–Sep
Illinois543MayMay–May
Alaska507MayMay–Aug
Ohio465MayMay–May
New York342MayMay–May
Nevada217MayApr–May
Massachusetts214MayMay–May
Michigan200MayMay–May
Minnesota198MayMay–May
Utah196MayMay–May
Wisconsin170MayMay–May
Wyoming149SeptemberAug–Sep
Florida141JanuarySep–Jan
Pennsylvania135MayMay–May
Maryland128MayMay–May
Idaho114SeptemberAug–Sep
Missouri110MayMay–May
Montana94SeptemberAug–Sep
Louisiana92OctoberSep–Oct
Indiana86MayMay–May
Vermont84MayMay–May
Maine80MayMay–May
Oklahoma69SeptemberSep–Oct
Nebraska66SeptemberAug–Sep
New Jersey60MayMay–May
Tennessee59SeptemberSep–Oct
Virginia53MayMay–May
Kansas47SeptemberSep–Sep
South Dakota46SeptemberAug–Sep
Iowa40MayMay–May
Connecticut31MayMay–May
North Carolina27SeptemberSep–Oct
Arkansas26MayMay–May
Georgia23SeptemberSep–Oct
Alabama22OctoberSep–Oct
District of Columbia18MayMay–May
New Hampshire17MayMay–May
North Dakota17MayMay–May
Mississippi13OctoberSep–Oct
Rhode Island12MayMay–May
Delaware11MayMay–May
Kentucky10SeptemberSep–Sep
South Carolina8MarchJan–Apr
West Virginia8MayMay–May

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

Related birds (New World Warblers)

Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata
Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
Northern Yellow Warbler
Northern Yellow WarblerSetophaga aestiva
Palm Warbler
Palm WarblerSetophaga palmarum
Orange-crowned Warbler
Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celata
Black-and-white Warbler
Black-and-white WarblerMniotilta varia
American Redstart
American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla
Pine Warbler
Pine WarblerSetophaga pinus

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 Wilson's Warbler?
Nationally, May has the most observations, with the main season from April to May.
Where is Wilson's Warbler most often seen?
The most observations come from California, Texas, Arizona.