Fun Arctic Warbler Facts For Kids

Christian Mba
Oct 20, 2022 By Christian Mba
Originally Published on Aug 11, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao
Read these Arctic warbler facts to learn more about this bird species.

The Arctic warbler (Phylloscopus borealis) belongs to the family of leaf warbler birds and is also known to be a North American bird. The Arctic warbler range consists of northern Palearctic, Fennoscandia as the breeding range, and is found in North America, and Southeast Asia.

In Southeast Asia, these birds are known to spend their winters. The population of these birds is known to have a strong foothold in North America and the breeding is known to take place in Alaska.

The types of habitat that these birds inhabit include willow scrubs and are known to be mostly found near water.

Breeding also takes place near water in low and dense thickets, dwarf birches, and alders. Other habitat includes mixed conifer and deciduous forests.

During the time of mating, males are known to defend territories and engage in fights. The nest is placed among the vegetation on the ground and thus, is well hidden.

Around six to seven eggs are laid and incubation of these eggs takes place for about 11-13 days and the female does the incubation. Feeding of the young ones or the chicks is done by both males and females.

The young ones are known to leave the nest in about 10-12 days after hatching. The description of these birds is very similar to the description of other leaf warblers and is known to be brown-olive or greenish-gray in color.

The under part of the body is white and these birds are known to have an eyestripe.

The bill is like a dagger and the tail is square. Being an insectivorous species, this bird feeds on caterpillars, beetles, true bugs, mosquitoes, and flies.

These birds are known to have the longest migration and this migration takes place before the onset of winter to Southeast Asia. The song of this bird can be explained as a fast trill.

It is quite gripping to learn about this leaf warbler and if you are interested, read about the aquatic warbler and the Cape May warbler, too.

Arctic Warbler Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an Arctic warbler?

The Arctic warbler is a species of bird.

What class of animal does an Arctic warbler belong to?

This warbler belongs to the class of Aves of birds.

How many Arctic warblers are there in the world?

There is no exact count of these birds available.

Where does an Arctic warbler live?

The range of these birds consists of the breeding range, that is, northern Palearctic, Fennoscandia, and is found in North America where breeding takes place in Alaska and wintering happens in Southeast Asia.

What is an Arctic warbler's habitat?

The habitat of these birds consists of willow scrubs. Breeding of these species takes place in low and dense thickets, dwarf birches, or alders, along streams or near water. They also inhabit conifer open forests mixed with shrubs of deciduous.

Who do Arctic warblers live with?

Not a lot is known about this warbler species being solitary or living in groups.

How long does an Arctic warbler live?

The exact lifespan of these birds is not available.

How do they reproduce?

Males of this species are known to sing in order to defend their territories and engage in fights by flapping their wings and singing. The nest is known to be placed on the ground and is built with mosses, leaves, and grasses, and the lining is done with finer grass and hair.

It is placed among vegetation. The female is known to lay around six to seven eggs and the incubation takes place for about 11-13 days and the female is known to do the incubation alone.

Feeding of the young or the chicks is done by both parents.

Young ones are known to leave the nest in about 10-12 days after hatching. It is believed that one brood every year is produced.

What is their conservation status?

These birds are placed under the Least Concern category of conservation status.

Arctic Warbler Fun Facts

What do Arctic warblers look like?

The plumage of this bird is dull and brown-olive in color and is known to be unmarked.

Just like other leaf warblers, this leaf warbler is also green-grayish on the upper body. The Arctic warbler is known to have quite a noticeable eyestripe that is white-yellowish in color.

There are wing bars that are faint, but this leaf warbler is known to have a single wing bar and thus, is known to be different from some similar species and the underparts are known to be dull white in color.

The tail is known to be square and the feet and legs are pale yellow in color. The bill of this bird is known to be like a dagger and the lower mandible has a dark tip.

A female warbler might be a little pale in its appearance, but overall look like males, and even the immature or the young ones resemble adults.

How cute are they?

These birds are considered cute by people because of their small size.

How do they communicate?

Just like other species of birds, these birds tend to also produce various types of sounds and calls to communicate with each other.

How big is an Arctic warbler?

The length of this warbler ranges from 4.3-5 in (11-13 cm). It is known to be sparrow-sized. It is similarly sized or smaller than a yellow warbler and almost of the same size as a black-and-white warbler.  

How fast can an Arctic warbler fly?

The exact speed of the flight of this species of warbler is unknown.

How much does an Arctic warbler weigh?

The weight of these warblers is around 0.33 oz (9.5 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Males and females of this species do not have any specific names assigned.

What would you call a baby Arctic warbler?

Babies of this species are generally referred to as chicks, young ones, or juveniles.

What do they eat?

These birds are known to feed on a large variety of insects that include caterpillars, beetles, leafhoppers, mosquitoes, flies, sawflies, and true bugs.

Are they rare?

No, this species is not considered to be a rare species and their status is known to be Least Concern.

Would they make a good pet?

While not much is available about these birds as pets, it is believed that these birds would not make great pets as they tend to be wild and migratory.

Did you know...

The binomial name of this bird is known to have its roots in Ancient Greek and Latin, respectively. Phylloscopus is derived from 'phullon' meaning 'leaf' and 'skopus' meaning 'seeker' and the word 'borealis' is a Latin word that means 'northern'.

The Arctic warbler (Phylloscopus borealis) is known to be first described by a German zoologist, Johannan Heinrich Blasius in 1858.

A group of warblers is referred to as confusion, wrench, fall, and bouquet of warblers.

Arctic warbler call sounds like 'zick-zick-zick' and it has been observed that it is followed by a fast trill. This fast trill is known to be the Arctic warbler song.

The Arctic warbler bird is known to have one of the longest migrations as compared to other insectivorous birds belonging to the Old World category.

Do Arctic warblers migrate?

The Arctic warbler (Phylloscopus borealis) is known to be a strong or highly migratory bird. It has been observed that the migration happens to Southeast Asia to spend the winter from the breeding range in North America, Fennoscandia, and the northern Palearctic.

Why are they called warblers?

Warblers are known to be closely related to the New World tanagers. Their name comes from the superficial similarity of these warblers in terms of habits, structure, and form to not-so-close relatives, the Old World warblers.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these chestnut-sided warbler facts and mourning warbler facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Arctic warbler coloring pages.

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Written by Christian Mba

Bachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science

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Christian MbaBachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science

Christian Mba is an experienced blogger and content writer with over a decade of experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Nigeria and has a keen interest in Python programming. Along with his writing and blogging expertise, he is also an SEO specialist with more than six years of experience. Chris, as he is commonly known, has a passion for music and enjoys playing the piano.

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Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao

Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

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Pradhanya RaoBachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Christ University, Bangalore, Pradhanya's passion for the English language and literature led her to explore the field of content writing, where she has gained extensive experience in writing, reviewing, editing, and fact-checking. She has also earned certifications in Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display, and Social Media Marketing, showcasing her proficiency in digital marketing.

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