# Tennessee Warbler (*Leiothlypis peregrina*) The Tennessee Warbler is a small, colorful bird that loves to sing! It flits around in trees and bushes, looking for tasty insects to eat. These birds are known for their beautiful songs that can brighten up any day. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 9 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Tennessee Warbler](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tennessee_Warbler_2.jpg&width=800) Photo: Jerry Oldenettel, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tennessee_Warbler_2.jpg) ## Appearance The Tennessee Warbler is a small, plain songbird with an olive-green back and a white or yellowish-white underside. Breeding males have a distinctive gray head with a faint dark line through the eye, lacking wing bars or streaking. Females and immatures are duller with more yellowish tones, making them appear even plainer. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Parulidae - **Genus:** Leiothlypis ## Interesting facts - Despite its name, it barely stops in Tennessee, mostly just flies through during migration! - Its population once soared because of outbreaks of tiny caterpillars, providing abundant food! - These tiny birds are such insect-eating machines they can gobble half their body weight daily! - They have a super useful thin, pointed beak perfect for picking tiny insects off leaves! ## Special abilities - **Migration Master:** Tennessee Warbler can travel thousands of kilometers twice a year because of its strong flight muscles and incredible navigational skills. - **Pest Patrol Pro:** Tennessee Warbler eats vast numbers of tiny insects, which helps protect trees and plants from damaging outbreaks. - **Nectar Nosh:** Tennessee Warbler can switch from eating insects to sweet flower nectar when needed, ensuring it finds food year-round. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 11-13 cm - **Wingspan:** 18-21 cm - **Weight:** 0.008-0.013 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-5 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-6 - **Incubation:** 10-12 days - **Migration Distance:** 4000 km ## Diet & Feeding These tiny birds eat mostly insects, but also enjoy sweet nectar from flowers! - **Primary Foods:** caterpillars, aphids, leaf beetles, nectar, small berries - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Spruce budworm (*Choristoneura fumiferana*) — Helps control outbreaks of this forest pest. - **Parasitizes:** [Brown-headed Cowbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-headed-cowbird) (*Molothrus ater*) — Lays its eggs in the warbler's nest. - **Eaten by:** [Sharp-shinned Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sharp-shinned-hawk) (*Accipiter striatus*) — A swift predator of small songbirds. - **Shelter:** [White Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-spruce) (*Picea glauca*) — Nests and forages among its needles. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't try to touch or catch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Tennessee Warbler? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Tennessee Warbler? 11-13 cm ### What is Tennessee Warbler's wingspan? 18-21 cm ### How much does Tennessee Warbler weigh? 0.008-0.013 kg ### How long does Tennessee Warbler live? 2-5 years ### How fast can Tennessee Warbler move? 35 km/h ### What does Tennessee Warbler eat? These tiny birds eat mostly insects, but also enjoy sweet nectar from flowers! ### Where is Tennessee Warbler usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Chalco Hills Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chalco-hills-recreation-area) — Nebraska, US · Nature Reserve - [Clayville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clayville-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Fairmount Boulevard District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fairmount-boulevard-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Hopkins Mill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hopkins-mill-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/klehm-arboretum-and-botanic-garden) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden - [Metcalfe Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/metcalfe-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District [View all places to see Tennessee Warbler](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/tennessee-warbler) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Tennessee Warbler: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tennessee-warbler)