Black-throated Blue Warbler

Dendroica caerulescens

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

13 cm (5") Fairly common in northeastern North America (Appalachians). Deciduous and mixed undergrowth.

Male: clean cut blue, black, and white bird. Black throat, cheeks and sides. Blue-gray back. White below. Bold white patch on dark wing.

Female and Immature: brownish-olive upperparts. Buffy underparts. White eyebrow stripe. Small whitish wing patch.

Song: husky, lazy, "zur, zur, zur, zree" or "I am so la-zy"; sharp junco-like "dit" call.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

1 photo

Credit: Kelly Colgan Azar

Watch and learn

Videos

1 video

Black throated Blue Warbler

Credit: Larry Bond

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 6 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Black-throated Blue Warbler (Female or Immature)

3 rules

Rule 1 17 criteria confidence 4

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:109-black-throated-blue-warbler-female-or-immature:1:1 Source: 109 Black-throated Blue Warbler (Female or Immature), row 1

Rule 2 17 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:109-black-throated-blue-warbler-female-or-immature:2:1 Source: 109 Black-throated Blue Warbler (Female or Immature), row 2

Rule 3 17 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States

result:109-black-throated-blue-warbler-female-or-immature:3:1 Source: 109 Black-throated Blue Warbler (Female or Immature), row 3

Black-throated Blue Warbler (Male)

3 rules

Rule 1 16 criteria confidence 4

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
What colour were the WING STRIPES or PATCHES ?: White or pale gray stripes or patches · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:106-black-throated-blue-warbler-male:1:1 Source: 106 Black-throated Blue Warbler (Male), row 1

Rule 2 16 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
What colour were the WING STRIPES or PATCHES ?: White or pale gray stripes or patches · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:106-black-throated-blue-warbler-male:2:1 Source: 106 Black-throated Blue Warbler (Male), row 2

Rule 3 16 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
What colour were the WING STRIPES or PATCHES ?: White or pale gray stripes or patches · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States

result:106-black-throated-blue-warbler-male:3:1 Source: 106 Black-throated Blue Warbler (Male), row 3