Swainson's Warbler

Swainson's Warbler

Limnothlypis swainsonii

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at New York City

In 3 days <5%

384 Verified sightings at New York City
848 In all 11 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Swainson's Warbler

Swainson's warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii) is a small species of New World warbler. It is monotypic, the only member of the genus Limnothlypis. Swainson's warbler was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist.

Swainson's warblers are a small and rather undistinguished songbird, though they are fairly large for a New World warbler. Adults grow to 12.5–16 cm (4.9–6.3 in) in length and 11–20.5 g (0.39–0.72 oz) in weight. The wingspan averages 23 cm (9.1 in). They are a plain olive-brown above and pale yellow-white below. They have a whitish eyebrow stripe that runs above their eye, and the top of their head is a rusty brown. Unlike most other New World warblers that are mostly dimorphic, there is no difference in appearance between a male or female Swainson's warbler.

Swainson's warblers are uncommon, mostly found in flooded swamplands and canebrakes of the south-eastern United States. More rarely, they will also occur in rhododendron thickets in the southern Appalachian Mountains. They are a migratory species, with part of the population migrating southeastwards to the Greater Antilles (where it overwinters in the Blue Mountains... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:58

United States · 2025

© Sue Riffe · XC1002055 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:43

United States · 2021

© Paul Driver · XC655173 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:24

United States · 2021

© David Vander Pluym · XC647118 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
2 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park 🇯🇲 Jamaica
~10%
4 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
6 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
7 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
8 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
9 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
11 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Monterrey 🇲🇽 México
<5%
2 Havana 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
3 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Swainson's Warbler in New York City?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Swainson's Warbler sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 384 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 261st most-seen of the 359 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Swainson's Warbler in New York City?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Swainson's Warbler in New York City on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Swainson's Warbler?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Swainson's Warbler sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is New York City the best place to see a Swainson's Warbler?

Among the best

Of the 8 cities where we can rate Swainson's Warbler sightings, New York City ranks 7th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Monterrey (México, under 5%), Havana (Cuba, under 5%) and Miami (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Swainson's Warbler live in New York City?

Same family: Parulidae

The closest relatives of the Swainson's Warbler that you can see in New York City (family Parulidae, New World Warblers) are Yellow-rumped Warbler (about 20%), Common Yellowthroat (about 20%) and Black-and-white Warbler (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Swainson's Warbler sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Swainson's Warbler is recorded against all the birds logged in New York City (384 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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