A small olive-brown warbler with bold black stripes on the head. Despite the name, doesn't eat earthworms — eats caterpillars from rolled leaves.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The worm-eating warbler is a small New World warbler that breeds in the Eastern United States and migrates to southern Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America for the winter. It is the only species in the genus Helmitheros.
Source: Wikipedia — Worm-eating warbler Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Warm buff overall with a plain olive-brown back and bold black-and-buff stripes on the head. No wing bars or tail spots.
Similar species. Swainson's Warbler is plainer-headed with a rusty cap; the bold head stripes of Worm-eating are distinctive.
Voice. A dry, rapid, insect-like trill on one pitch, like a Chipping Sparrow but buzzier.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Insects (caterpillars primary), spiders, occasional berries on migration.
Behavior. Forages by probing hanging clusters of dead leaves for insects (rarely eats earthworms despite the name); breeds on wooded hillsides with dense understory.
§ Range
Eastern North American forests in summer
§ Habitat
Mature deciduous slopes with rhododendron and mountain laurel
§ Threats
Mature forest loss, climate change.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the worm-eating warbler is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support Appalachian forest conservation. Maintain understory shrubs.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Worm-eating warbler
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Helmitheros vermivorum
- IUCN Red List — search for Helmitheros vermivorum
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Helmitheros vermivorum
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
