Fun Magnolia Warbler Facts For Kids

Aashita Dhingra
Jan 12, 2023 By Aashita Dhingra
Originally Published on Aug 05, 2021
Edited by Jacob Fitzbright
Fact-checked by Abdulqudus Mojeed
Here are magnolia warbler facts about these North American birds.

Magnolia warblers (Setophaga magnolia), also known and black and yellow warblers, are really colorful birds that can be easily identified and prefer lower areas of dense forests for forming their nests. These bird species are very commonly found in North America and are rare among other areas.

These birds have also been listed as of Least Concern by IUCN, and there is known to be an increasing trend in their population.

Magnolia warbler birds are known to reproduce through internal fertilization, especially during their breeding season that continues from May to June. They are also monogamous creatures that are known to lay an average of four eggs every season.

After reading about these North American birds, you may also check out the palm warbler and the Blackburnian warbler.

Magnolia Warbler Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Magnolia Warbler?

The magnolia warbler (Dendroica magnolia) is an easily recognizable breed of bird that is a member of wood-warblers and belongs to the order Passeriformes, family Parulidae.

What class of animal does a Magnolia Warbler belong to?

The magnolia warbler (Setophaga magnolia) belongs to the class of Aves, order Passeriformes, family Parulidae, that are known to migrate in winters and form nests in dense parts of forests. They are also known as the black and yellow warbler.

How many Magnolia Warblers are there in the world?

It is almost impossible to find out the exact number of magnolia warblers (Setophaga magnolia) that are found throughout the world. A rough estimate of the black and yellow warbler population is said to be around 40 million.

Where does a Magnolia Warbler live?

The magnolia warbler is known to have a comparatively greater geographical range where this bird species can be found, but they are mostly concentrated in the United States of America.

Magnolia warblers are a migratory species that move south from Mexico to Panama and are also known to migrate to the West Indies and to the western and southern regions of the United States.

What is a Magnolia Warbler's habitat?

Although magnolia warblers are called so, these North American birds are very rarely found on a magnolia tree. Rather this bird species is found in damp coniferous trees on a variety of trees including spruce, red maple, pine, hemlocks, and balsam firs.

Who do Magnolia Warblers live with?

Magnolia warbler birds are native to Nearctic and neotropical regions. These birds are known to be living alone usually but are also found in pairs, especially during the winter season. This bird species has also been recorded to show no response or communication with other birds, including their own species.

How long does a Magnolia Warbler live?

Magnolia warbler birds are known to have a maximum lifespan of around seven years, like other similar species. These are wild birds and also have a number of predators, such as cowbirds and hawks, which decreases their life expectancy.

How do they reproduce?

These birds are monogamous and are known to mate during their breeding season from May-June. This bird species are usually known to lay an average of four eggs every season, which takes around 11-13 days to hatch.

The female magnolia warbler is known to have an active role in taking care of their young, but both the males and females are known to supply food to their babies.

The breeding grounds of magnolia warblers are said to be in the dense undergrowth of coniferous forests. This bird species take utmost care while forming their nests for laying eggs, as predators like hawks and cowbirds are known to hunt them as well as their eggs.

Magnolia warblers form their nests in the breeding grounds, which are in deep and dense forests so as to ensure their safety.

What is their conservation status?

These North American birds are known to be listed under the category of least concern according to IUCN and are known to have no threat of extinction in the near future. Their population is also known to be increasing these days.

Even after their population is increasing slightly, these birds of North America also have a constant threat of habitat loss of their migration house and they are also the constant victims of collisions with man-made structures, usually during migration.

Magnolia Warbler Fun Facts

What do Magnolia Warblers look like?

Magnolia warblers are really striking birds but can also be mixed with other breeds of birds.

Being black and yellow, the easiest ones to identify are the adult male magnolia warblers that have thick black streaks and a black mask, other than their white wing patches.

The magnolia warbler females and young are less easily spotted, and can often be confused with the Canada warbler, but they can be distinctly identified, too as they have white wing bars, yellow underparts, and dark streaks on their flanks.

Both the males and females also have a distinctive tail pattern in which the basal half is white while the tip is black when seen from below.

How cute are they?

These birds are easily recognizable as they are known to have very vibrant colors. They are really cute and also easily distinguishable among both sexes. The breeding males have a black face with black streaks and yellow underparts. In comparison, the females and infants are rather dull and have grey heads and mostly white wings.

How do they communicate?

Magnolia warblers are usually known to use visual and acoustic channels for communicating with each other. They are also known to use acoustic, tactile, chemical, and visual channels for perception.

How big is a Magnolia Warbler?

A magnolia warbler is known to have a weight range of 0.23-0.44 oz and a length range of 5-6 in along with a wingspan of around 7-8 in. They are known to grow almost double the size of sparrows.

How fast can a Magnolia Warbler fly?

Magnolia warblers are migratory birds but are known to have a normal speed of around 30-40 mph. They are active birds that do not fly around much other than while migrating or catching their prey.

How much does a Magnolia Warbler weigh?

The magnolia warbler is a small-to-medium-sized bird that can weigh around 0.23-0.44 oz.

What are their male and female names of the species?

They are referred to as male magnolia warblers and female magnolia warblers.

What would you call a baby Magnolia Warbler?

The young ones or babies that hatch out of eggs of magnolia birds are generally referred to as hatchlings or nestlings just like other birds. They are also called baby magnolia warblers.

What do they eat?

Magnolia warblers are exclusively carnivorous birds that feed on insects. They try to find various different terrestrial insects as well as terrestrial arthropods such as spiders, beetles, moth caterpillars, worms, flies, leafhoppers, plant leaves, aphids, and many more.

Are they dangerous?

Magnolia warblers are small-sized birds that belong to the family of Parulidae. They are neither aggressive nor violent birds.

Rather they are solitary birds that usually make their nests in dense parts of the forest to ensure that their eggs and they are protected from predators. They can behave aggressively when guarding or protecting their young but will not display any violent behavior until their eggs are provoked or threatened.

Would they make a good pet?

Magnolia warblers are members of the wood warbler family and are not domestic birds and are not suited as pets for families. Magnolia warblers are not shy of attention and are known to show off by spreading or flickering their wings. Even after all these characteristics, they have not been recorded as domestic birds.

Did you know...

They are also considered important and are of economic importance to humans as they are known to control the pest population.

Unlike other birds, both the sexes can easily be distinguished as males are more brightly colored than females.

The color patterns of magnolia warblers vary with their age, sex, and breeding status.

The Magnolia Warbler's call

Male magnolia warblers are known to sing two different songs, one for courtship, and the other is used to make and mark their territories.  Surprisingly enough, male magnolia birds are also known to sing tunes and specific magnolia warbler songs, to female birds that they have chosen to mate, almost continuously.

Where does the Magnolia Warbler originate from?

Even though the birds are named magnolia warbler, they are very rarely seen or spotted on magnolia trees. These birds were first found by ornithologist Alexander Wilson in 1810. The founder thought of the name magnolia warbler because of the reason that he first collected the specimen from a magnolia tree in Mississippi.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including the palm warbler and the great crested flycatcher.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our magnolia warbler coloring pages.

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Written by Aashita Dhingra

Bachelors in Business Administration

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Aashita DhingraBachelors in Business Administration

Based in Lucknow, India, Aashita is a skilled content creator with experience crafting study guides for high school-aged kids. Her education includes a degree in Business Administration from St. Mary's Convent Inter College, which she leverages to bring a unique perspective to her work. Aashita's passion for writing and education is evident in her ability to craft engaging content.

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Fact-checked by Abdulqudus Mojeed

Bachelor of Law

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Abdulqudus MojeedBachelor of Law

A versatile professional with a passion for creative writing and technology. Abdulqudus is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Law from the University of Lagos and has experience as a tutor, intern assistant, and volunteer. He possesses strong organizational skills and is a detail-oriented person.

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