Hooded warblers are occasionally on the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge in the fall. It is a trans-Gulf migrant, wintering mostly in southeastern Mexico and on the Caribbean slope of northern Central America. Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) Distribution. In Wisconsin and elsewhere, this species nests in the dense patches of shrubs or saplings found beneath canopy gaps (Kilgo 2005, Bielefeldt and Rosenfield 2006). They spend the winter in Central America and the West Indies. The Hooded Warbler nests in moist deciduous and mixed forests from the lower Midwest and southern New England to the Gulf Coast. https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/hooded-warbler Management should focus on preserving these characteristics in large contiguous blocks to reduce the threat of brood parasitism by Brown-headed cowbirds and nest predation by small mammals like raccoons. These birds nest in low areas of a bush, laying three to five eggs in a cup-shaped nest . Dead leaves decorate the outside of the nest, camouflaging it—although cowbirds often find hooded warbler nests … Hooded warblers are often the victims of brood parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird , especially where the hooded warblers' forest habitats are fragmented . ... Nesting. Hooded Warbler. The song of the hooded warbler is individually distinctive, and males are able to learn and memorize the songs of their neighbors, apparently as a means of keeping turf disputes to a minimum. There, the female usually constructs a cup nest of dead leaves, bark, grass, and plant fluff. It is a casual vagrant in the Pacific Northwest. It arrives in South Carolina in April, immediately constructs its nest, and has young quite as soon as in Louisiana. In summer, hooded warblers nest close to the ground in mature forests with dense understories. Status in Tennessee: The Hooded Warbler is a common summer resident in East Tennessee and uncommon elsewhere in the state. In many parts of our woods, the traveller, as he proceeds, cannot help stopping to admire the peaceful repose that spreads its pleasing charm on all around. Nesting Behavior. Nest site: Nest sites are primarily along streams and ravine edges in dense deciduous undergrowth. Ecology: The Hooded Warbler nests and forages in the shrubby understory of upland forest stands (Bielefeldt and Rosenfield 2001, Kilgo 2005, Chiver et al. Nests are typically lower than 4 feet in small shrubs or saplings. Hooded warblers' breeding habitats are broadleaved woodlands with dense undergrowth. Female hooded warblers often do not eject parasitic eggs from their nest, and incubate cowbird eggs along with their own (Evans Ogden and Stutchbury 1994). Nest: The nest is well hidden and constructed of grass, dead leaves, and strips of bark, and held together with spider webs. 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