Northern Parula

Northern Parula Nest Found 

Northern Parula

Recently we had the pleasure of watching a Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) build a nest.  Mid-July seems late for nest building but the literature states that this species nests from April to July.  This pair might just be late nesters or perhaps the first nest was destroyed.  The Northern Parula nests in hardwood, softwood or mixed forests, always near water and always where there is an abundance of epiphytes (lichens like Old Man's Beard).  The above description fits our birds perfectly; the nest being built in mixed woods, near a lake and in a tree heavily laden with Old Man's Beard.  

Northern Parula

The Northern Parula is a smallish warbler, 11 cm (4.5 in) long.  It has a relatively short tail, bluish back with a green patch in the middle, white broken eye ring, bright yellow throat with a black necklace and white belly.  Its song is notable and easily learned.  It is a rising buzzy trill with a sharp drop at the end.  Sibley's describes it as "zeeeeeeeee-tsup".  The Northern Parula is an active warbler and is found feeding in bushes and trees looking for insects and spiders of all kinds.  It gleans the foliage in the tree canopy performing all sorts of acrobatics to get at its prey, even hovering or hanging upside down as seen below.

Northern Parula

The Northern Parula breeds in the Maritime Provinces and westward to Central Canada and southward to the Gulf of Mexico.  It winters in Mexico, the Caribbean Islands and in southern Texas and Louisiana.  

The Northern Parula is one of the few species of warblers which weaves a hanging basket nest out of lichen.  That is what we watched it do.  It was interesting to watch it ambitiously carry in material and weave it into a hanging basket.  The literature says it uses plant fibres, grass and bark to weave the nest in the lichen.  What was observed was strips of plant fibre being carried inside the lichen which was somehow anchored to the branch and shaped securely into a basket.  The plant fibres were then woven inside the basket by the bird going inside and turning round and round and poking the fibres around the existing strands.  The energy displayed by the birds was remarkable.  The task appeared to be accomplished over about 3 days.  Both male and female worked on the project.  The nest is shown below.  Note the rounded bowl shape well camouflaged among existing hanging lichen.  This nest is about 13 metres (40 ft) up in a birch tree, hanging on a dead limb.  

Northern Parula Nest

The Parula lays 3 to 7 white eggs with brown specks and will take 12 to 14 days to incubate them.  The sitting is done by the female.  See below for a close-up of the nest.

Northern Parula Nest

It will be interesting to watch whether the male hangs around while the female incubates the eggs.  We will not know how many eggs will be laid but I hope we get to see the young as they fledge.

Northern Parula