A yellow-and-black magnolia warbler perched on a branch. — Photo: AMMuench, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Magnolia Warbler

Setophaga magnolia

A yellow-and-black warbler named after a magnolia tree, though it actually prefers spruce and fir forests.

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About the Magnolia Warbler

Magnolia warblers are 4.3 to 5.1 inches long and weigh just 0.2 to 0.5 ounces. They migrate across the Gulf of Mexico and eastern North America each spring and fall and spend winter in Mexico, especially the Yucatán, and Central America. In summer they eat moth caterpillars, leafhoppers, beetles, aphids and spiders. They nest in dense evergreens like spruce, fir and hemlock.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Setophaga magnolia^[1]
Size: 4.3 to 5.1 inches long.^[1]
Weight: 0.2 to 0.5 ounces.^[1]
Lifespan: The oldest known lived almost 9 years.^[1]
Diet: Insects such as caterpillars, leafhoppers, beetles and aphids, plus spiders and some berries.^[1]
Habitat: Dense evergreen forests of spruce, fir and hemlock.^[1]
Where it lives: Migrates through eastern North America; winters in Mexico and Central America.^[1]
Group life: Mixed-species flocks in migration and winter. Migrates at night.^[1]
Babies: 3 to 5 speckled eggs, incubated for 11 to 13 days.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

It was named after a magnolia tree, but it prefers spruce and fir.^[1]
Males have two different songs.^[1]
It often travels with flocks of chickadees.^[1]

Vocabulary

warbler: A small, often colorful songbird that eats insects.
conifer: A tree with cones and needle-like leaves, such as a pine.
migrate: To travel from one region to another with the seasons.
territory: An area an animal claims and defends.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Bird HouseSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Magnolia warbler.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/magnolia-warbler (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Setophaga magnolia (Magnolia Warbler).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22721667/137273211 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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