New World warbler facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the New World wood warbler family of birds, the Parulidae. For the Eurasian species Phylloscopus sibilatrix, see wood warbler.

Quick facts for kids New World warbler

Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Superfamily:	Passeroidea
Family:	Parulidae Wetmore et al., 1947
Species
See text
Synonyms
Mniotiltidae

The New World warblers are a group of small, often very colorful birds. They are also called wood-warblers. These birds belong to a family called Parulidae. You can only find them in the New World, which means North and South America. They are not related to other warblers found in places like Europe or Australia.

Most New World warblers live in trees. But some, like the ovenbird and the two waterthrushes, spend most of their time on the ground. Most birds in this family eat insects.

Scientists believe these birds first appeared in northern Central America. This is where you can find the most types of warblers and the biggest differences between them. From there, they spread north, especially during warmer periods between ice ages. Many of them are migratory, meaning they fly back to Central America for the winter. Two groups, Myioborus and Basileuterus, seem to have moved into South America very early. They make up most of the warbler species in that region.

The scientific name for the family, Parulidae, comes from how Carl Linnaeus first named the northern parula. He thought it was a tit bird and called it Parus americanus. As scientists learned more, the name changed to Parulus, then to Parula. The family name comes from this genus name.

How New World Warblers Are Grouped
- Current New World Warbler Groups
- Birds Once Thought to Be Warblers
What Do New World Warblers Look Like?
- Eggs and Chicks
- Male and Female Appearance
See also

How New World Warblers Are Grouped

The family Parulidae was officially named in 1947 by an American bird expert named Alexander Wetmore. He and his team chose Parula as the main example for the group.

Scientists use DNA studies to understand how different bird groups are related. These studies have shown that New World warblers are closely related to the yellow-breasted chat and the Icteridae family (which includes blackbirds and orioles).

A big study in 2010 looked at the DNA of Parulidae species. It found that many species were grouped differently than what scientists had thought before. This led to a big change in how the species are organized into different groups, or genera. For example, a large group of 29 species that were in the genus Dendroica were moved. They, along with some other species, are now mostly in a larger genus called Setophaga.

The species that used to be in the group Basileuterus were split into two main groups. One group kept the name Basileuterus. The other, larger group of 18 species, is now in a group called Myiothlypis.

The group Myioborus, which includes the whitestarts, stayed the same. But six other genus names, like Dendroica and Parula, are no longer used for these birds.

Current New World Warbler Groups

The Parulidae family now includes 119 different species. These species are divided into 18 main groups, called genera.

Image	Genus	Living Species
	Seiurus Swainson, 1827	ovenbird, Seiurus aurocapilla
	Helmitheros Rafinesque, 1819	worm-eating warbler, Helmitheros vermivorum
	Parkesia Sangster, 2008	northern waterthrush, Parkesia noveboracensis Louisiana waterthrush, Parkesia motacilla
	Vermivora Swainson, 1827	Bachman's warbler, Vermivora bachmanii blue-winged warbler, Vermivora cyanoptera golden-winged warbler, Vermivora chrysoptera
	Mniotilta Vieillot, 1816	black-and-white warbler, Mniotilta varia
	Protonotaria Baird, 1858	prothonotary warbler, Protonotaria citrea
	Limnothlypis Stone, 1914	Swainson's warbler, Limnothlypis swainsonii
	Oreothlypis Ridgway, 1884	flame-throated warbler, Oreothlypis gutturalis crescent-chested warbler, Oreothlypis superciliosa
	Leiothlypis Sangster, 2008	tennessee warbler, Leiothlypis peregrina orange-crowned warbler, Leiothlypis celata Colima warbler, Leiothlypis crissalis Lucy's warbler, Leiothlypis luciae Nashville warbler, Leiothlypis ruficapilla Virginia's warbler, Leiothlypis virginiae
	Leucopeza Sclater, 1876	Semper's warbler, Leucopeza semperi
	Oporornis Baird, 1858	Connecticut warbler, Oporornis agilis
	Geothlypis Cabanis, 1847	common yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas Belding's yellowthroat, Geothlypis beldingi Altamira yellowthroat, Geothlypis flavovelata Bahama yellowthroat, Geothlypis rostrata New Providence yellowthroat, Geothlypis rostrata rostrata (extinct: 1990s?) olive-crowned yellowthroat, Geothlypis semiflava black-polled yellowthroat, Geothlypis speciosa masked yellowthroat, Geothlypis aequinoctialis southern yellowthroat, Geothlypis (aequinoctialis) velata black-lored yellowthroat, Geothlypis (aequinoctialis) auriculata Chiriqui yellowthroat, Geothlypis (aequinoctialis) chiriquensis gray-crowned yellowthroat, Geothlypis poliocephala hooded yellowthroat, Geothlypis nelsoni MacGillivray's warbler, Geothlypis tolmiei mourning warbler, Geothlypis philadelphia Kentucky warbler, Geothlypis formosa
	Catharopeza P.L. Sclater, 1880	whistling warbler, Catharopeza bishopi
	Setophaga Swainson, 1827	plumbeous warbler, Setophaga plumbea elfin woods warbler, Setophaga angelae arrowhead warbler, Setophaga pharetra hooded warbler, Setophaga citrina American redstart. Setophaga ruticilla Kirtland's warbler, Setophaga kirtlandii Cape May warbler, Setophaga tigrina cerulean warbler, Setophaga cerulea northern parula, Setophaga americana tropical parula, Setophaga pitiayumi magnolia warbler, Setophaga magnolia bay-breasted warbler, Setophaga castanea Blackburnian warbler, Setophaga fusca American yellow warbler, Setophaga petechia chestnut-sided warbler, Setophaga pensylvanica blackpoll warbler, Setophaga striata black-throated blue warbler, Setophaga caerulescens palm warbler, Setophaga palmarum olive-capped warbler, Setophaga pityophila pine warbler, Setophaga pinus yellow-rumped warbler, Setophaga coronata myrtle warbler, Setophaga coronata coronata Audubon's warbler, Setophaga coronata auduboni black-fronted warbler, Setophaga coronata nigrifrons Goldman's warbler, Setophaga coronata goldmani yellow-throated warbler, Setophaga dominica Bahama warbler, Setophaga flavescens vitelline warbler, Setophaga vitellina prairie warbler, Setophaga discolor Adelaide's warbler, Setophaga adelaidae Barbuda warbler, Setophaga subita Saint Lucia warbler, Setophaga delicata Grace's warbler, Setophaga graciae black-throated grey warbler, Setophaga nigrescens Townsend's warbler, Setophaga townsendi hermit warbler, Setophaga occidentalis golden-cheeked warbler, Setophaga chrysoparia black-throated green warbler, Setophaga virens
	Myiothlypis Cabanis, 1850	citrine warbler, Myiothlypis luteoviridis Santa Marta warbler, Myiothlypis basilica white-striped warbler, Myiothlypis leucophrys flavescent warbler, Myiothlypis flaveola white-rimmed warbler, Myiothlypis leucoblephara black-crested warbler, Myiothlypis nigrocristata pale-legged warbler, Myiothlypis signata buff-rumped warbler, Myiothlypis fulvicauda riverbank warbler, Myiothlypis rivularis two-banded warbler, Myiothlypis bivittata golden-bellied warbler, Myiothlypis chrysogaster white-lored warbler, Myiothlypis conspicillata grey-throated warbler, Myiothlypis cinereicollis grey-and-gold warbler, Myiothlypis fraseri russet-crowned warbler, Myiothlypis coronata
	Basileuterus Cabanis, 1848	gray-headed warbler, Basileuterus griseiceps golden-crowned warbler, Basileuterus culicivorus white-bellied warbler, Basileuterus culicivorus hypoleucus three-banded warbler, Basileuterus trifasciatus rufous-capped warbler, Basileuterus rufifrons golden-browed warbler, Basileuterus belli black-cheeked warbler, Basileuterus melanogenys Pirre warbler, Basileuterus ignotus three-striped warbler, Basileuterus tristriatus black-eared warbler, Basileuterus melanotis Tacarcuna warbler, Basileuterus tacarcunae fan-tailed warbler, Basileuterus lachrymosus
	Cardellina Bonaparte, 1850	Canada warbler – Cardellina canadensis Wilson's warbler – Cardellina pusilla red-faced warbler – Cardellina rubrifrons red warbler – Cardellina rubra pink-headed warbler – Cardellina versicolor
	Myioborus Baird, 1865	painted whitestart, Myioborus pictus slate-throated whitestart, Myioborus miniatus brown-capped whitestart, Myioborus brunniceps yellow-crowned whitestart, Myioborus flavivertex white-fronted whitestart, Myioborus albifrons golden-fronted whitestart, Myioborus ornatus spectacled whitestart, Myioborus melanocephalus collared whitestart, Myioborus torquatus Paria whitestart, Myioborus pariae white-faced whitestart, Myioborus albifacies Guaiquinima whitestart, Myioborus cardonai Tepui whitestart, Myioborus castaneocapillus

Birds Once Thought to Be Warblers

Some birds that were once considered New World warblers are now placed in different bird families. This happens as scientists learn more about their DNA and relationships. For example:

The Olive warbler is now in its own family, Peucedramidae.
The Yellow-breasted chat is also in its own family, Icteriidae.
Three species in the group Granatellus are now part of the Cardinalidae family (which includes cardinals).
The Wrenthrush is in its own family, Zeledoniidae.
Two species from the island of Hispaniola are now in the Phaenicophilidae family.
Two species from Cuba, in the group Teretistris, are now in their own family, Teretistridae.

What Do New World Warblers Look Like?

All warblers are quite small birds. The smallest is Lucy's warbler, weighing about 6.5 grams (0.23 ounces). It is about 10.6 centimeters (4.2 inches) long. The largest warblers can be over 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) long and weigh more than 21 grams (0.74 ounces). These include the Parkesia waterthrushes, the ovenbird, and Semper's warbler.

Eggs and Chicks

Warblers that migrate long distances tend to lay more eggs, sometimes up to six. This is because their long journeys are risky, and they might only get one chance to have chicks. In contrast, warblers that live in tropical areas and don't migrate usually lay only two eggs. They can give better care to fewer chicks, and they are likely to have more chances to breed over their lives.

Male and Female Appearance

Many warblers that migrate, especially those that breed in the northern parts of their range, have very colorful male birds. This is especially true during the breeding season. Males need bright colors to claim their territory and attract mates each year. This is very noticeable in the large group Setophaga.

However, warblers that live in tropical areas all year round often pair for life. In these species, the male and female birds look very similar. There are some exceptions, though. For example, the Parkesia waterthrushes and the ovenbird are strong migrants, but their males and females look exactly alike. On the other hand, the yellowthroats, which mostly live in tropical areas, have males and females that look different.