Setophaga pinus pinus
Status: Rare casual spring migrant east and central. Rare casual fall migrant statewide. Rare casual winter visitor east and central.
Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM19789, 25 Dec 2023 Lincoln, Lancaster Co.
Taxonomy: Four subspecies are recognized, two restricted to the West Indies, and one, florida, to central Florida; the remainder of the North American range is occupied by pinus (Gill et al 2022).
Nebraska birds are pinus.
Spring: Pine Warblers apparently migrate in very low numbers through the Missouri River Valley, sometimes very early in spring. There appear to be more reports in recent years. Of about 33 spring reports 12 Mar-27 May, only 16 are accepted:
12-17 Mar 2000 Bellevue, Sarpy Co feeder (Silcock 2000)
25-26 Mar 2017 photographed Lincoln, Lancaster Co (Silcock 2017)
1-22 Apr 2012 Nebraska City, Otoe Co (Brogie 2013)
13 Apr-24 May 2010 Pioneer’s Park, Lincoln; singing male, with two singing males present 16 Apr-1 May (Brogie 2011)
17 Apr 2011 singing male Harlan Co (Brogie 2012)
18 Apr 2017 Arbor Lodge SHP, Otoe Co (Silcock 2017)
27 Apr 2019 Lincoln, Lancaster Co
27-29 Apr 2019 Holmes Lake, Lancaster Co
2-8 May 1984 Polk Co (Williams 1984, Jorgensen 2012)
8 May 2013 Otoe Co (Silcock 2013)
11 May 2017 Sarpy Co (Silcock 2017)
12 May 2019 two at Fontenelle Forest, Sarpy Co
14 May 1976 banded Lincoln, Lancaster Co (Cortelyou 1976)
22-24 May 2019 Wayne, Wayne Co
25-26 May 2017 Lancaster Co
26 May 2003 adult male DeSoto NWR, Washington Co (Brogie 2004)
A report 9 May 1987 Sarpy Co was considered “Unaccepted” by the NOURC (Mollhoff 1989).
Fall: Reports in fall are more widespread than in spring and are increasing in recent years; the records tend to be quite late for a wood-warbler. Although there have been fall reports 13 of the last 16 years 2008-2023, only seven of the years 2014-2023 have documented records. Documented fall records are:
29 Aug-13 Oct 1998 Oliver Reservoir, Kimball Co (Brogie 1999)
7 Sep 2013 Douglas Co
11 and 29 Sep 2012 banded Scotts Bluff Co
25 Sep 2008 banded Scotts Bluff Co (Brogie 2009)
26 Sep 2017 Douglas Co
10 Oct 2006 Lincoln Co
2 Nov 1986 Wayne Co
2 Nov 2008 Lancaster Co
7 Nov 2012 Lincoln Co (Brogie 2013)
17 Nov 2019 Keith Co
26 Nov 2020 photograph Otoe Co (Silcock 2020)
4 Dec 2016 photographs Dodge Co (Brogie 2017)
4 Dec 2020 photo Palmyra, Otoe Co feeder (Silcock 2021)
7 Dec 2006 two males Lincoln Co
10-15 Dec 1984 Fontenelle Forest feeders, Sarpy Co (Cortelyou 1985, Williams 1985)
14-16 Dec 2000 Bellevue suet feeder, Sarpy Co (Silcock 2001)
14 Dec 2021 Harlan Co.
Later Dec dates are discussed under Winter (below).
There are these Panhandle reports: a singing male remained in a pine grove at Oliver Reservoir, Kimball Co 29 Aug-13 Oct 1998 (Brogie 1999), single males were at Wildcat Hills NC, Scotts Bluff Co 11 (banded) and 29 Sep 2012 (Brogie 2013), and one was banded in Scotts Bluff Co 25 Sep 2008 (Brogie 2009).
Fall reports not accepted by the NOURC are 8 Aug 1989 Sarpy Co (Grenon 1990) and 12 Sep 1986 Douglas-Sarpy Cos (Mollhoff 1987). One banded at Wildcat Hills NC, Scotts Bluff Co 23 Nov 2007 was not conclusively identified as this species (Silcock 2008).
Winter: Pine Warbler has a propensity to appear at feeders late in fall. The only reports of over-wintering are of a male at a Bellevue feeder 18 Dec 2001-25 Mar 2002 (Brogie 2003), an adult male videographed at a Doniphan, Hall Co feeder 28 Nov 2002-3 Feb 2003, and one at a suet feeder at North Platte, Lincoln Co 9 Dec 2021-27 Feb 2022.
Likely attempting to winter were one at a Lincoln, Lancaster Co feeder 22-25 Dec 2023 that died on the latter date; the specimen was sent to UNSM (ZM19789) and is the first specimen for the state (Mike Forsberg). Another was at a North Platte suet feeder 24 Dec 2007 (Brogie 2009), and an adult male was at a Ceresco, Lancaster Co feeder 28 Nov 2002-5 Jan 2003 (Brogie 2004).
Images
Abbreviations
NC: Nature Center
NOURC: Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee
NWR: National Wildlife Refuge
SHP: State Historical Park
UNSM: University of Nebraska State Museum
Literature Cited
Brogie, M.A. 1999. 1998 (Tenth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 67: 141-152.
Brogie, M.A. 2003. 2002 (14th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 71: 136-142.
Brogie, M.A. 2004. 2003 (15th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 72: 59-65.
Brogie, M.A. 2009. 2008 (20th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 77: 80-90.
Brogie, M.A. 2011. 2010 (22nd) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 79: 99-111.
Brogie, M.A. 2012. 2011 (23rd) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 80: 112-122.
Brogie, M.A. 2013. 2012 (24th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR: 81: 120-130.
Brogie, M.A. 2017. 2016 (28th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 85: 128-142.
Cortelyou, R.G. 1976. 1976 (Fifty-first) Spring Migration and Occurrence Report. NBR 44: 38-52.
Cortelyou, R.G. 1985. 1984 (Twenty-seventh) Fall Occurrence Report. NBR 53: 5-18.
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/.
Grenon, A.G. 1990. 1990 (Third) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 58: 90-97.
Jorgensen, J.G. 2012. Birds of the Rainwater Basin, Nebraska. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Mollhoff, W.J. 1987. First report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 55: 79-85.
Mollhoff, W.J. 1989. Second report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 57: 42-47.
Silcock, W.R. 2000. Spring Field Report, March to May 2000. NBR 64: 55-81.
Silcock, W.R. 2001. Winter Field Report, December 2000 to February 2001. NBR 69: 2-18.
Silcock, W.R. 2008. Fall Field Report, August-November 2007. NBR 75: 98-118.
Silcock, W.R. 2013. Spring Field Report, Mar 2013 to May 2013. NBR 81: 50-79.
Silcock, W.R. 2017. Spring Field report, March-May 2017. NBR 85: 54-83.
Silcock, W.R. 2020. Fall Field Report, August-November 2020. NBR 88: 138-161.
Silcock, W.R. 2021. Winter Field Report, December 2020-February 2021. NBR 89: 2-17.
Williams, F. 1984. Southern Great Plains Region. American Birds 38: 929-931.
Williams, F. 1985. Southern Great Plains Region. American Birds 39: 182-185.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2024. Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 15 Jan 2024