Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler has declined: down 49% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Cerulean Warbler
The Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) is a North American member of the Wood-Warblers (Parulidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–5.5 in long (11–14 cm) — a small, active songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 512 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 26 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Parulidae · Forest birds
Notable Cerulean Warbler Trends
No notable trend signals for Cerulean Warbler. See the full index history below.
Cerulean Warbler Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Cerulean Warbler is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.08 (95% range 0.01–0.14). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±13.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.08 | 0.02 | 0.14 |
| 2026 | 0.08 | 0.01 | 0.14 |
| 2027 | 0.08 | 0.01 | 0.14 |
| 2028 | 0.08 | 0.01 | 0.14 |
| 2029 | 0.08 | 0.01 | 0.14 |
Where the Cerulean Warbler Is Detected
BBS routes recording Cerulean Warbler, sized by most recent count.
Cerulean Warbler Population Trend by State
| Alabama | -19% | 1970 | 11 |
| Arkansas | -37% | 1969 | 18 |
| Connecticut | +43% | 1990 | 6 |
| Georgia | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Illinois | -41% | 1973 | 13 |
| Indiana | -55% | 1968 | 28 |
| Kentucky | -57% | 1968 | 38 |
| Louisiana | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Maryland | +117% | 1968 | 27 |
| Massachusetts | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Michigan | +49% | 1971 | 20 |
| Minnesota | -88% | 1974 | 4 |
| Mississippi | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Missouri | +46% | 1976 | 22 |
| New Hampshire | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| New Jersey | +222% | 1980 | 5 |
| New York | -17% | 1969 | 27 |
| North Carolina | -65% | 1992 | 6 |
| Ohio | +20% | 1968 | 55 |
| Oklahoma | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Pennsylvania | -1% | 1968 | 77 |
| Tennessee | -53% | 1968 | 28 |
| Vermont | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Virginia | +229% | 1968 | 29 |
| West Virginia | -29% | 1968 | 56 |
| Wisconsin | +11% | 1970 | 25 |
Cerulean Warbler Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | -34% | 1994 | 10 |
| Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain | -59% | 1968 | 38 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | +79% | 1978 | 8 |
| Eastern Tallgrass Prairie | -80% | 1972 | 28 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | -25% | 1970 | 45 |
| Central Hardwoods | -52% | 1968 | 84 |
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | -71% | 1970 | 11 |
| Mississippi Alluvial Valley | -77% | 1972 | 4 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | -23% | 1973 | 16 |
| Appalachian Mountains | -8% | 1968 | 239 |
| Piedmont | -83% | 1968 | 19 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | +28% | 1979 | 10 |
Cerulean Warbler Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 49% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.