Are Cape May warblers rare?

Where do Cape May warblers live?

On breeding grounds, Cape May Warblers are locally common in spruce-fir forests, where they spend most of the day foraging high in the trees. Listen for males singing their high-pitched songs (be aware it’s quite similar to Bay-breasted Warbler’s song).

Why do Cape May warblers have tongues?

These unusual warblers have specially shaped tongues that allow them to sip nectar from tropical flowers in winter—and sometimes from hummingbird feeders. On breeding grounds, Cape May Warblers are locally common in spruce-fir forests, where they spend most of the day foraging high in the trees.

Is Cape May New Jersey’s best birding destination?

Cape May lighthouse and New Jersey Shore. Photo by 2002moncar / Wikimedia. MIf birds are good judges of excellent climate, Cape May has the finest climate in the United States, for it has the greatest variety of birds. Few places in North America have been birded longer or have more birding advocates than Cape May, New Jersey.

When was the first Cape May warbler recorded?

The nest of the Cape May Warbler was not accurately described until the early 20th century. The oldest recorded Cape May Warbler was at least 4 years, 3 months old when it was found in 1978 in Quebec. It had been banded as an adult in Ohio in 1975.

What is a Cape May warbler?

The Cape May warbler ( Setophaga tigrina) is a species of New World warbler. It breeds in northern North America. Its breeding range spans all but the westernmost parts of southern Canada, the Great Lakes region, and New England. It is migratory, wintering in the West Indies.

What kinds of birds live in Cape May?

Unlike other woodpeckers, northern flickers prefer to dig for—and eat—ants from the ground. Green-winged teal will “dabble” with other duck species, but can be differentiated by their small, compact bodies that float high out of the water. Yellow-rumped warblers love the shrubby habitats of New Jersey’s coast like those found in Cape May.

What makes Cape May a great birding spot?

The Cape’s peninsular shape, proximity to ocean and bay, and diversity of habitat all blend to make Cape May a birding spot for all seasons. The first harbingers of spring are the pintail pairing off in February, newly arrived red-winged black birds calling from foxtail stalks, and oldsquaws flying purposefully north.

Why is the tongue so variable in class Aves?

As is well known the tongue is an exceptionally variable organ in the Class Aves, as is to be expected from the fact that it is so intimately related with the birds’ most important problem, that of obtaining food.

Why do prothonotary warblers use the same box yearly?

Prothonotary Warblers have high nest site fidelity, and someone observing birds using the same box year after year is likely seeing returns or, if adults do not return, their now-adult offspring using the site, or neighboring birds that may also have been using the jelly.

Why do birds have tongues on their beaks?

In all higher vertebrates (including us!) the tongue is supported by a cartilage-and-bone Y-shaped structure called the hyoid apparatus. In birds, that hyoid apparatus is most exquisitely, and weirdly, developed in woodpeckers and hummingbirds, especially those species that stick their tongues out far beyond the tip of their beaks.

Are there Cape May warblers in BC?

Cape May Warbler is accidental in British Columbia away from its nesting grounds. Washington’s two accepted records were in September 1974 at Bellingham (Whatcom County) and February 2005 in Spokane (Spokane County). Idaho also has two records, in September and January.

Where to go birding in Cape May NJ?

Cape May is exceptional among top birding spots, as much of the hottest bird watching can be found along the residential avenues of the town of Cape May Point (probably the only municipality on earth where a bird watcher can “pish” and not draw comment, ridicule, or overt attention).

What is the Cape May Bird Observatory?

New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory (CMBO) was founded in 1976 Here is what they say: The narrow peninsula at Cape May acts as a bird funnel, bringing in songbirds during their spring and fall migrations.

What happens at the Cape May fall birding festival?

The Cape May Fall Birding Festival falls during the time of our fall migration tour — we register you so we can take in a bird walk or evening presentation if you like. Discover thousands of Sharp-shinned Hawk, hundreds of Northern Harrier, and dozens of Peregrine Falcon and Merlin at the Cape May State Park Hawk Watch Platform

Is Cape May a bird funnel?

Here is what they say: The narrow peninsula at Cape May acts as a bird funnel, bringing in songbirds during their spring and fall migrations.

How many eggs does a Cape May warbler lay?

The average clutch size of the Cape May Warbler (6 eggs) is greater than that of other warblers. This large clutch size may allow Cape May Warbler populations to expand rapidly during outbreaks of their preferred prey, spruce budworms. The nest of the Cape May Warbler was not accurately described until the early 20th century.

Are Cape May warblers in decline?

Cape May Warbler populations declined by an estimated 2.5% per year from 1966 to 2015, resulting in a cumulative decline of 70% over that period, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

What kind of bird has a slender decurved bill?

Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. A delicate, short-tailed warbler with a slender and distinctively decurved bill, unusual among warblers. Larger than a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, smaller than a Song Sparrow.

What does a warbler bird look like with black streaks?

Black streaks mark the yellow breast and continue down the flanks. Short-tailed warbler with a thin bill and white undertail coverts. Adult females/immature males have a grayish cheek patch, an olive-gray crown, and a paler yellow collar and breast.

Is Cape May NJ a good place to stay?

For most of the year, lodging can be had at an attractive off-season rate. The nearby adjacent natural areas of Cape May Point State Park and Higbee Beach (a cedar and holly forest) offer excellent bird habitat and, correspondingly, excellent bird watching.