Kirtland's Warbler Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A fairly large, plump warbler with a relatively short tail.

  Relative Size

  Slightly larger than a Yellow Warbler, smaller than an Eastern Bluebird.

  sparrow-sized or smaller

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
• Color Pattern

  Breeding males are steel gray with black streaks on the upperparts and lemon yellow underparts. The head is gray with a black mask and an incomplete eye ring. Females and immatures are similarly patterned but more washed out and brownish on the upperparts, often with more extensive black streaking on the breast, and no mask.

• Behavior

  Kirtland’s Warblers flit quickly through thickets and scrubs, constantly pumping their tails.

• Habitat

  Breeds exclusively in early to mid-successional (5–15 year old) jack pine forests, growing on sandy soils. They are most common when the trees are between about 5 and 15 feet tall.