Hooded Warblers are passerines in the Parulid family which means that they are related to other New World Warblers. The Hooded Warbler male has a black hood that completely encircles the yellow face and forehead. The female does not have this black hood. The body of both sexes is yellow with an olive colored back. There are also white tail spots on both sexes. The male and female are approximately 10-11 grams in weight and around 14cm in length.

The Hooded Warbler can be found in woodland undergrowth, wooded swamps, and forests. The Hooded Warbler primarily feeds on small insects by catching them in flight or picking them off of the forest floor.

The Hooded Warbler is not a very aggressive species but will hold territories during the breeding season. They are migratory and will migrate nocturnally to Mexico and Central America. While wintering, the males and females will live in different habitats. The males inhabit the forests and the females in shrubbery.

photo Ivan Andrijevic

The average clutch size is 4 eggs with one brood per year. The Hooded Warbler is monogamous and both males and females will sing to attract a mate. The females build a nest out of bark and plant material in a low lying area. Both males and females share the duty of incubating the eggs which last about 12 days. The young are altricial when they are born which means that they are immobile, blind and helpless. They remain in the care of their parents for  8-9 days after they hatch.

A great place to see Hooded Warblers is on the Kanyoo trail at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Look near the forest floor and in the under story for these beautiful warblers.