Mourning Warbler (Oporornis philadelphia)

Mourning Warbler Oporornis philadelphia

This is a female mourning warbler

This is a male mourning warbler

TAXONOMY:

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Oporornis
species: philadelphia

MORPHOLOGY:

Males: The male has a gray hood and lacks an eye ring. The upper chest has a black mottled patch. The lower breast and undertail coverts are yellow.
Females: The hood is a paler gray as compared to the male. There is a faint, broken eye ring. The throat is a pale color and no black color on the breast. Lower breast and undertail coverts are a paler yellow color as compared to the male.
Immature: Has a more brown hood and the eye ring is thin and broken. The throat is yellow and blends with the yellow breast and undertail coverts.

FOOD: insectivorous (Ehrlich et al., 1988).

MATING SYSTEM: monogamous (Ehrlich et al., 1988).

PREENING: scratches head with feet underwing (Ehrlich et al., 1988).

BREEDING SYSTEM:

Where Breeds: The mourning warbler breeds in northern woodlands where there is heavy undergrowth, on the edges of swamps, on steep slopes, in regenerating clear-cuts, and in bushy thickets (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Nest: The nest is found on the ground in thickets, thorny briers, in fern or weed clumps, and in grass-tussocks (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is a bulky, compact cup made out of dead leaves, and vine stems (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). There is an inner cup made of grasses, weed stems, and leaves, and is lined with fine grasses and hair (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is built by both sexes (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Breeding Season: The breeding season begins from late May to early June (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Eggs: The number of eggs range from 3 to 5 in a clutch (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eggs are subelliptical to short subelliptical in shape and white to creamy-white in background color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eggs are speckled chestnut-red to brownish-gray (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The average size of an egg is 18 X 14 mm (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Incubation: The incubation period is from 12 to 13 days and is done by the female (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Nestling: The nestlings are born altricial and downy, with the down being a dark gray color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The mouth is red and the gape flanges are yellow (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nestlings leave the nest between 7 and 9 days and they are tended by both parents (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The young can not fly when they fledge, they can fly after 2 weeks out of the nest (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).

MIGRATION STATUS IN WISCONSIN:
The mourning warbler is a neotropical migrant.

REFERENCES:
Baicicich, P.J. and Harrison, C.J.O. 1997. A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, 2nd edition. Academic Press: San Diego.

Ehrlich, P.R., Dobkin, D.S., and Wheye, D. 1988. The Birder’s Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon and Schuster, Inc.: New York.

Stokes, D.W. and Stokes, L.Q. 1996. Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region. Little, Brown and Co.: Boston.

Last Updated: March 27, 2005

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