Day 160: Cerulean Warbler

The Cerulean Warbler is a bird that can be difficult to find, but we strive to see it each year. It breeds throughout parts of the eastern U.S., but numbers have been in decline since the 1900s. During the winter, Cerulean Warblers migrate to South America. Evidently, their winter habitat in the northern Andes is dwindling. They depend on shade coffee plantations (coffee plants grown under a canopy of trees), and this farming technique is at risk with pressure to switch to higher-yield sun coffee crops.

Cerulean Warblers tend to stay in the canopy, foraging high in trees for insects (which is one reason they can be difficult to spot). A few weeks ago, we got a decent look at a Cerulean Warbler on a trip out to western Maryland. They have pale blue upperparts and white underparts, with a black collar on the breast.