Northern Parula Parula americana
TAXONOMY:
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Parulidae
- Genus: Parula
- species: americana
MORPHOLOGY:
- Male: The dorsal side is blue-gray with a yellow patch on the back. Has an incomplete white eye-ring and a black lore. There is a band of black and red below the neck on the upper breast. The neck and lower breast are yellow. The undertail coverts are white. Has two white wing bars.
- Female: Like the male, but lacking the band on upper breast and is overall duller.
- Immatures: Like respective sexes but duller, and immature male has a much duller upper breast band.
FOOD: eats insects.
MATING SYSTEM: monogamous.
BREEDING SYSTEM:
- Where Breeds: Breeds in area with trees with Usnea tree-lichen in the North, Spanish moss in the South of its range (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
- Nest: The nest is built in hanging tufts of Usnea or Spanish moss, and occasionally in conifers or deciduous trees (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is usually 5-15 ft. high (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is a cup built into Usnea or Spanish moss, and is lined with plant down and fine rootlets (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is built by the female in 4 days (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
- Breeding Season: The breeding season begins in mid-April in the South of the range, and mid to late May in the North of the range (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The breeding season ends by late July (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). This species is single-brooded (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
- Eggs: There are between 3 and 7 eggs laid 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 reddish-brown and this is confined to the larger end (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The average size of an egg is 16 X 12 mm (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
- Incubation: The incubation period is 12-14 days and is done by the female (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
- Nestling: The young, or nestlings, are born altricial and downy, with the down being smoke-gray in color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The skin is yellowish-pink of the young (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The young fledge from the nest 10-11 days after hatching, and are tended by both parents while in the nest (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The young can not fly when they leave the nest (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
MIGRATION STATUS IN WISCONSIN:
The Northern parula is a short-distance/neotropical migrant.
NESTS FOUND AT LAND O' LAKES SITE:
There was one nest found at the Land O' Lakes site, but it was abandoned.
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.
Stokes, D.W. and Stokes, L.Q. 1996. Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region. Little, Brown and Co.: Boston.
Last Updated: March 27, 2005
[Birds of Vilas County]
[Primate Definitions] [The Primata]