Worm-eating Warbler
Helmitheros vermivorum
eBird describes the Worm-eating Warbler like this: A plain warbler dressed in subtle shades of olive, brown, and buff. Note black and tan stripes on head and long, sharp bill. Pinkish legs. Skulky, often seen in the understory, probing clumps of dead leaves in search of insects. Breeds in mature deciduous forests, especially on steep dry slopes. Winters primarily in Middle America and the Caribbean, where it can be found in a wider variety of forested habitats. Listen for its dry, insectlike trill that is very similar to Chipping Sparrow. Appearance most similar to Swainson’s Warbler; distinguished by head pattern (Swainson’s has a rufous crown, Worm-eating has a striped head) and habits (Swainson’s usually found on the ground, Worm-eating in low understory). All About Birds adds this brief descriptive information about this bird: A small, drab, but elegantly marked bird of the eastern deciduous forests, the Worm-eating Warbler is often found on steep slopes with dense understory. True to its name, it feeds largely on caterpillars (“worms”).
I encountered my first Worm-eating Warbler at Boy Scout Woods on the afternoon of April 19, 2021. I wasn’t able to get any decent photos, so I was glad to see the Worm-eating Warbler the next day at the central water feature in Sabine Woods on the early afternoon of April 20, 2021. This bird didn’t seem particularly shy, but did not stick around long. I was grateful to get some pretty good photos of this bird!
“Cool Facts” About The Worm-eating Warbler From All About Birds:
- Late in incubation the female Worm-eating Warbler sits so tight on her nest that only touching her will flush her. Her cryptic coloring makes immobility a safe strategy. If she is flushed, she will flutter across the ground with her wings and tail spread, acting helpless to lure predators away from the nest.
- Young Worm-eating Warblers typically leave their nest 8-10 days after hatching. Chicks as young as five days old have been observed leaving the nest and surviving, although they cannot fly at that age.
- Although the Worm-eating Warbler forages in the understory near the ground and nests on the ground, it does not spend much time on the forest floor. It does not forage there, and when on the ground it hops instead of walking.
- The oldest recorded Worm-eating Warbler was a male, and at least 8 years, 1 month old when he was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Connecticut.