Setophaga virens virens
Status: Uncommon regular spring and fall migrant east and east central, rare casual west central and west.
Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM12010, 14 Sep 1911 Crawford, Dawes Co (Zimmer 1912).
Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Morse and Poole 2020, AviList 2025).
This species hybridizes with Townsend’s Warbler; for a Nebraska record, see the Townsend’s x Black-throated Green Warbler species account.
Spring: Apr 29, 30, 30 <<<>>> May 29 (Jorgensen 2012), 30, 30
An earlier date is 23 Apr 2016.
Later dates are 1 Jun 1995 Schramm SP, Sarpy Co, and 2 Jun 2012 Fontenelle Forest, Sarpy Co, 7 Jun 2007 Dawes Co, and 8-11 Jun 2016 singing Fontenelle Forest.
Migrants occur mostly during May.
There are five Panhandle reports: 20 May 2014 Kimball, Kimball Co, 21-22 May 2022 Oliver Reservoir, Kimball Co, 22 May 1983 Sioux Co, 23 May 2022 Scotts Bluff Co, and 7 Jun 2007 Dawes Co. Close to the Panhandle were two singing males at Lake Ogallala, Keith Co 15 May 2004, and one at Venango, Perkins Co 7-8 May 2016.
Bruner et al (1904) cited reports by Aughey 5-6 Jun 1865 Dakota Co and 14 Jun 1875 Lancaster Co; we disregard these (Sharpe 1993).
- High counts: 4 in Sarpy Co 10 May 2008, 4 at Fontenelle Forest 13 May 2018, and 4 there 10 May 2019.
A total of 23 were reported in 2022, and 18 in 2018.
Fall: Aug 22, 24, 24 <<<>>> Oct 17, 19, 20
Later dates are 23 Oct 2019 Otoe Co, 26 Oct 2018 Douglas Co, 31 Oct 2008 Lancaster Co, 31 Oct-1 Nov 2022 Sarpy Co, 1-5 Nov 2021 Sarpy Co, 5 Nov 1980 Douglas-Sarpy Cos (Williams 1981), and 18 Nov 1984 Wayne Co.
Migrants are primarily observed from late Aug through mid-Oct.
There are seven records for the Panhandle: 24 Aug 2020 Scotts Bluff Co, a specimen taken 14 Sep 1911 in Dawes Co (Zimmer 1912, cited above), 20 Sep 2014 Oliver Reservoir, Kimball Co, 29 Sep 1979 western Dawes Co (Rosche 1982), 8 Oct 1920 Sioux Co (Dawson 1921), 13 Oct 1979 Garden Co (Williams 1980), and 19 Oct 1991 Sheridan Co (Grzybowski 1992). There are these few reports for the west central: 26 Aug 2016 Red Willow Co, 26 Sep 2022 Dundy Co, 30 Sep 2001 Blaine Co, and 1 Oct 2024 Lincoln Co.
- High counts: 6 at Walnut Grove Park, Omaha, Douglas Co 9 Sep 2018, 5 at Krimlofski Tract, Neale Woods, Washington Co 13 Sep 1998, and 5 at Indian Cave SP, Nemaha and Richardson Cos 13 Sep 2010.
- About 42 were reported during fall 2018, and 52 in fall 2024.
Images
Abbreviations
SP: State Park
UNSM: University of Nebraska State Museum
Literature Cited
AviList Core Team, 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025. https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2025.
Bruner, L., R.H. Wolcott, and M.H. Swenk. 1904. A preliminary review of the birds of Nebraska, with synopses. Klopp and Bartlett, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
Dawson, R.W. 1921. Fall migration in northwestern Nebraska in 1920. Wilson Bulletin 33: 35-37. Grzybowski, J.A. 1992. Southern Great Plains Region. American Birds 46: 113-117.
Grzybowski, J.A. 1992. Southern Great Plains Region. North American Birds 46: 52-155.
Jorgensen, J.G. 2012. Birds of the Rainwater Basin, Nebraska. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Morse, D.H., and A.F. Poole. 2020. Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.btnwar.01.
Rosche, R.C. 1982. Birds of northwestern Nebraska and southwestern South Dakota, an annotated checklist. Cottonwood Press, Crawford, Nebraska, USA.
Sharpe, R.S. 1993. Samuel Aughey’s list of Nebraska birds (1878): a critical evaluation. NBR 61: 3-10.
Williams, F. 1980. Southern Great Plains Region. American Birds 34: 176-179.
Williams, F. 1981. Southern Great Plains Region. American Birds 35: 198-201.
Zimmer, J.T. 1912. Several interesting warbler records from Dawes County. Proceedings Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union 5: 50.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2025. Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 24 Jul 2025