Setophaga caerulescens
Status: Rare casual spring and fall migrant statewide.
Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6834, 19 Sep 1919 Monroe Canyon, Sioux Co (Mickel and Dawson 1920).
Taxonomy: Two subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022), cairnsi of the Appalachian Mountains, and caerulescens throughout the remaining eastern US and southeastern Canada breeding range. Both subspecies winter in the Caribbean and southern Central America.
Spring: There are about 38 reports for spring, only 11 of these documented, those from 4-27 May, most for the east. Earliest dates are 4 May 2021 Keith Co, and 7-9 May 1981 Sioux Co (Rosche 1982), and latest 22 May 2021 Scotts Bluff Co, and 27 May 2004 Scotts Bluff Co.
Panhandle reports are 7-9 May 1981 Sioux Co (Rosche 1982), 15 May 1998 Crescent Lake NWR, Garden Co (Brogie 1999), 15 May 2011 Sioux Co, 22 May 2021 Scotts Bluff Co, and 27 May 2004 Gering Cemetery, Scotts Bluff Co.
Fall: There are about 47 reports in all, distributed statewide, only 20 documented, those from 1 Sep-8 Oct. Earliest dates are 1 Sep 1973 Sarpy Co and 1 Sep 2021 Towl Park, Douglas Co, and latest dates 8 Oct 1920 Sioux Co (specimen UNSM ZM6833, 8 Oct 1983 Hoskins Park, Wayne Co, and 8 Oct 1983 Erickson Farm, Wayne Co.
Reports are mostly for the east, with these for the west and central: 15 Sep 2007 Kimball Co, 25 Sep 1999 Loup Co, and 26 Sep 2021 Dawes Co.
The five reported in 2021 was a high year count.
Images
Abbreviations
NWR: National Wildlife Refuge
UNSM: University of Nebraska State Museum
Literature Cited
Brogie, M.A. 1999. 1998 (Tenth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 67: 141-152.
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Mickel, C.E., and R.W. Dawson. 1920. Some interesting records of Nebraska birds for the year 1919. Wilson Bulletin 32: 73-79.
Rosche, R.C. 1982. Birds of northwestern Nebraska and southwestern South Dakota, an annotated checklist. Cottonwood Press, Crawford, Nebraska, USA.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2024. Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 14 Jan 2024