Cerulean-Warbler-at-Embury-, photo by richard.sleeman.

I’ve recently posted about the de-listing of the gray wolf and bald eagle in Michigan. The osprey was recently removed as well, but the Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently revised its list of threatened and endangered species and added 69 to the list. They say that the most notable addition is the cerulean warbler.

The All About Birds page on the Cerulean Warbler has some excellent photos and even the warbler’s song. The Audubon Watchlist for the Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea) estimates that there are about 1/2 a million of these birds in the world and says:

This wood-warbler is not easily confused with other warblers. The adult male is a deep cerulean blue above with a streaked back, and is white below with a narrow blue-black band across the throat. The adult female is bluish-green above with no streaks, and white washed with yellow below with a distinct white or yellowish line over eye. All plumages and both sexes have white wing bars and white tail-spots.

The species suffers from habitat loss and degradation in both its summer and winter range. The remaining population breeds in the northeastern and central parts of the United States as far north as s. Ontario, as far south as Arkansas, as far east as the Atlantic Coast, and as far west as Iowa. Ceruleans are not evenly distributed throughout this range.

Typically found in mature forested areas with large and tall trees of broad-leaved, deciduous species and an open understory, but may also inhabit wet bottomlands, some second-growth forests, and mesic upland slopes. Eats insects in the foliage and a small amount of plant material in the winter. Nests high in the canopy on a lateral limb of a deciduous tree above an open area. The nest is concealed from above by leaves or vines. The 3-4 eggs are incubated by the female, but both parents feed the young. As a medium- to long-distance migrant, these warblers may arrive on their breeding range from late March to mid-May and be back on their wintering grounds as early as August.

Richard took this photo at the Waterloo State Game Area. See it bigger in his Warblers slideshow.