Description

The Cerulean is one of the smallest wood-warblers and the smallest of the Dendroica family. There is strong sexual dimorphism in this species with all plumages except for the immature female exhibiting bluish or aqua tones, white tail spots and broad white wingbars. The male has bluish upperparts, white underparts and a darkish breast band.

The Cerulean Warbler nests in the upper canopy of mature deciduous woodlands typically found along rivers and streams.

The song is composed of a series of buzzy "chee" or "zeep" notes that rise in three stages of progression as represented by "zeep zeep zeep zeep zizizizi zeee! zray zray zray zray-zray zreeee!" or "burr-burr-br-br-br-br-bree?"

Drab first fall female Blackburnian.

Forage in the upper canopy by gleaning the underside of leaves for insects and spiders. Males tend to be especially territorial on the breeding grounds and will sing persistently from high in the canopy. The Cerulean Warbler is highly migratory and has expanded its breeding range into southern Ontario within the last hundred years.

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