Features: The Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) is named for the black hood of the adult male which sets off its striking yellow face. The back, wings and tail are olive green, and the under parts are bright yellow. Females are similar in overall body colour, but show considerable variation in the degree of hood development, ranging from virtual absence of a hood, to one rivalling that of the adult male. In Ontario, the Hooded Warbler breeds mainly in the Carolinian Zone, in the interiors of large upland tracts of mature deciduous and mixed forest, and in ravines. It selects habitats in which small openings in the forest canopy have permitted a dense growth of low understory shrubs, and it abandons areas once the vegetation becomes too thin or too tall.

Status: Special Concern Provincially, Threatened Nationally

Range: The Hooded Warbler breeds in eastern North America, from southern Ontario to the Gulf states and northern Florida. In Canada, it is reported to breed only in southwestern Ontario. The province's largest populations are found in Haldimand-Norfolk and Elgin counties, and much smaller numbers are present in several other southwestern counties. It has been suggested that this warbler may be expanding its range into eastern Ontario, owing to increases in sightings from the Kingston area. Although declines have been reported in some states at the western and northern limits of the species' United States range, it is generally secure in the United States, and the breeding range has even increased in Ohio. Range Maps

Threats: The Hooded Warbler has been designated as threatened in Canada because of its small population size, specific habitat requirements and the fact that there are few remaining large areas of mature deciduous or mixed forest in southwestern Ontario.

Protection: The Hooded Warbler receives legal protection under Ontario's Endangered Species Act, 2007. This species is also protected under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act. In addition, the Natural Heritage component of the Provincial Policy Statement under Ontario's Planning Act provides for the protection of significant habitat of threatened species. In Ontario, some Hooded Warblers nest on lands owned by the province or by conservation authorities. The National Acadian Flycatcher and Hooded Warbler Recovery Team has prepared a draft recovery plan for these two forest interior birds. By addressing the needs of both species, the plan highlights the importance of maintaining a variety of habitat conditions in Ontario's remaining tracts of mature Carolinian forest.

Text Sources: Austen et al. 1984; Godfrey 1986; Page and Cadman 1994

Last Modified Date: September 2009