Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.1–5.5 in
13–14 cm - Wingspan
- 7.5–9.1 in
19–23 cm - Weight
- 0.3–0.5 oz
9–15 g
Other Names
- Paruline des pins (French)
- Chipe pinero (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Pine Warbler is the only warbler that eats large quantities of seeds, primarily those of pines. This seed-eating ability often brings them to bird feeders where they eat seeds in addition to suet.
- The Pine Warbler is one of the first warblers to return to the North in spring, arriving as early as February in areas just north of the wintering range. It is one of the earliest breeding warblers too, starting in late April or May in the northern part of the range.
- Migrant Pine Warblers from the northern part of the range join resident Pine Warblers in the southern United States in winter. Sometimes they form large flocks of 50 to 100 or more.
Habitat
Forest
- Breeds in a variety of pine forests and plantations.
- Winters in similar habitats.
Food
Insects
Primarily arthropods; some fruit and seeds.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–5 eggs
- Egg Description
- Whitish spotted with brown, often with a wreath or band of concentrated spots near large end.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless and downy.
Nest Description
Nest a deep cup of grass, pine needles, twigs, and plant fibers bound together with spider web or caterpillar silk, lined with fine plant parts, hair and feathers. Placed high in pine tree.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Bark Forager
Forages in middle and upper canopy, slowly searching along branches and bark. Hops along branches. May hang upside down at branch tips. Occasionally comes to bird feeders. Opens seeds by placing them in bark crevices and hammering with bill. Joins mixed species flocks in winter.
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations increasing in most of range.
Credits
- Rodewald, P. G., J. H. Withgott, and K. G. Smith. 1999. Pine Warbler (Dendroica pinus). In The Birds of North America, No. 438 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.