The male Bay-breasted Warbler wears an unusual palette for the warbler family, clad in rusty red, grey, and cream during the breeding season and losing much of its colour in the fall. It also shows strong seasonal variation in diet, switching from mainly insects on the breeding grounds to primarily fruit during the dry season on the non-breeding grounds.
Bay-breasted Warbler
Setophaga castanea
Photo:
The State of Canada's Birds is presented in partnership by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada.
Bay-breasted Warbler
Status and Trends
Distribution
Methods
The State of Canada's Birds is presented in partnership by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada.
Did you know
Summary
Trend
Little Change
Confidence: Medium
Goal
Within Goal Range
Common and widespread, the Bay-breasted Warbler is among the boreal songbirds that responds strongly to outbreaks and declines of Spruce Budworm. Bay-breasted Warbler breeds from southwestern Northwest Territories and northern Alberta to the Maritimes, and winters primarily in the Caribbean and northwestern South America. There are approximately 9.8 million individuals in Canada, accounting for 99% of the global population and a very high level of jurisdictional responsibility for Canada. Although the population has fluctuated over time in response to Spruce Budworm abundance, it has shown little change overall since 1970 based on the Breeding Bird Survey. Confidence in this assessment is medium, because the northern limits of the breeding range are less well monitored. The national population of Bay-breasted Warbler is within its goal range.
Migration Strategy
Long-distance
Canadian Responsibility
Population Estimates
Breeding
9,800,000
Annual
9,800,000
Global
9,900,000
Related readings
Summary report
View the report
Trends from this species and others are rolled up into The State of Canada’s Birds Summary Report. Follow the link below to view the report, learn more about birds in Canada, and see how we can all help birds.
This species is included in the following analysis groups for the report:
Long-Distance Migrants
Forest Birds
Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada. 2024. The State of Canada’s Birds – Bay-breasted Warbler. Data accessed from NatureCounts, Birds Canada.
https://doi.org/10.71842/dgmr-sj58
The State of Canada's Birds is presented in partnership by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada.
Did you know
The male Bay-breasted Warbler wears an unusual palette for the warbler family, clad in rusty red, grey, and cream during the breeding season and losing much of its colour in the fall. It also shows strong seasonal variation in diet, switching from mainly insects on the breeding grounds to primarily fruit during the dry season on the non-breeding grounds.
Distribution and Occurrence
16810
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Related readings
Summary report
View the report
Trends from this species and others are rolled up into The State of Canada’s Birds Summary Report. Follow the link below to view the report, learn more about birds in Canada, and see how we can all help birds.
This species is included in the following analysis groups for the report:
Long-Distance Migrants
Forest Birds
Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada. 2024. The State of Canada’s Birds – Bay-breasted Warbler. Data accessed from NatureCounts, Birds Canada.
https://doi.org/10.71842/dgmr-sj58