Status in Tennessee: The Hooded Warbler is a common summer resident in East Tennessee and uncommon elsewhere in the state. Female hooded warblers often do not eject parasitic eggs from their nest, and incubate cowbird eggs along with their own (Evans Ogden and Stutchbury 1994). It does nest on the refuge, but it is not common to find it in the spring and summer during nesting season. These birds nest in low areas of a bush, laying three to five eggs in a cup-shaped nest . Hooded warblers are occasionally on the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge in the fall. In summer, hooded warblers nest close to the ground in mature forests with dense understories. The most comprehensive description of the Hooded Warbler’s breeding habitat in Minnesota is provided by Fall , who has closely monitored the local breeding population at Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve since nesting was first documented there in 1984 . Nesting Behavior. https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/hooded-warbler Hooded warblers nest in a variety of forest types that all have a mature forest canopy and a dense understory of small trees and shrubs. The Hooded Warbler nests in moist deciduous and mixed forests from the lower Midwest and southern New England to the Gulf Coast. Nest site: Nest sites are primarily along streams and ravine edges in dense deciduous undergrowth. 2011). Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) Distribution. Hooded warblers' breeding habitats are broadleaved woodlands with dense undergrowth. In many parts of our woods, the traveller, as he proceeds, cannot help stopping to admire the peaceful repose that spreads its pleasing charm on all around. In fact, hooded warblers may be preferentially chosen as hosts, perhaps because the chipping calls of female hooded warblers makes nest construction behavior conspicuous to cowbirds. Nests placed in shrubs, often within or along the edge of secondary forest. It arrives in South Carolina in April, immediately constructs its nest, and has young quite as soon as in Louisiana. Ecology: The Hooded Warbler nests and forages in the shrubby understory of upland forest stands (Bielefeldt and Rosenfield 2001, Kilgo 2005, Chiver et al. In Wisconsin and elsewhere, this species nests in the dense patches of shrubs or saplings found beneath canopy gaps (Kilgo 2005, Bielefeldt and Rosenfield 2006). They spend the winter in Central America and the West Indies. Hooded warblers usually nest in shrubs between 2 and 6 feet above the ground. Dead leaves decorate the outside of the nest, camouflaging it—although cowbirds often find hooded warbler nests … The song of the hooded warbler is individually distinctive, and males are able to learn and memorize the songs of their neighbors, apparently as a means of keeping turf disputes to a minimum. Hooded warblers are often the victims of brood parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird , especially where the hooded warblers' forest habitats are fragmented . Nest: The nest is well hidden and constructed of grass, dead leaves, and strips of bark, and held together with spider webs. Management should focus on preserving these characteristics in large contiguous blocks to reduce the threat of brood parasitism by Brown-headed cowbirds and nest predation by small mammals like raccoons. There, the female usually constructs a cup nest of dead leaves, bark, grass, and plant fluff. It is a trans-Gulf migrant, wintering mostly in southeastern Mexico and on the Caribbean slope of northern Central America. ... Nesting. Hooded Warbler. Nests are typically lower than 4 feet in small shrubs or saplings. It is a casual vagrant in the Pacific Northwest. Breeding habitats are broadleaved woodlands with dense understories has young quite as soon as in Louisiana during... 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