Nests are typically lower than 4 feet in small shrubs or saplings. In summer, hooded warblers nest close to the ground in mature forests with dense understories. The most comprehensive description of the Hooded Warbler’s breeding habitat in Minnesota is provided by Fall , who has closely monitored the local breeding population at Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve since nesting was first documented there in 1984 . Hooded warblers usually nest in shrubs between 2 and 6 feet above the ground. 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. Hooded Warbler. The Hooded Warbler nests in moist deciduous and mixed forests from the lower Midwest and southern New England to the Gulf Coast. 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. Status in Tennessee: The Hooded Warbler is a common summer resident in East Tennessee and uncommon elsewhere in the state. Nests placed in shrubs, often within or along the edge of secondary forest. Nest site: Nest sites are primarily along streams and ravine edges in dense deciduous 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). Nesting Behavior. Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) Distribution. It arrives in South Carolina in April, immediately constructs its nest, and has young quite as soon as in Louisiana. https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/hooded-warbler Hooded warblers nest in a variety of forest types that all have a mature forest canopy and a dense understory of small trees and shrubs. Hooded warblers' breeding habitats are broadleaved woodlands with dense undergrowth. Nest: The nest is well hidden and constructed of grass, dead leaves, and strips of bark, and held together with spider webs. These birds nest in low areas of a bush, laying three to five eggs in a cup-shaped nest . They spend the winter in Central America and the West Indies. It does nest on the refuge, but it is not common to find it in the spring and summer during nesting season. Dead leaves decorate the outside of the nest, camouflaging it—although cowbirds often find hooded warbler nests … ... Nesting. Hooded warblers are often the victims of brood parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird , especially where the hooded warblers' forest habitats are fragmented . Hooded warblers are occasionally on the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge in the fall. It is a casual vagrant in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, hooded warblers may be preferentially chosen as hosts, perhaps because the chipping calls of female hooded warblers makes nest construction behavior conspicuous to cowbirds. 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