Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Parula
Setophaga americana
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) is a member of the Parulidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 7.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Parulidae New World Warblers
- Genus Setophaga
- Species americana
Quick facts
- Weight
- 7.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Parulidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Northern Parula is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Northern Parula is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) belongs to the Parulidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA sc, se Canada and c, e USA.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 7.8 g, with a wing length of about 5.8 cm and a tail of around 4.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 3.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Northern Parula?
The Northern Parula is a very small bird that weighs around 7.8 g.
Where does the Northern Parula live?
The Northern Parula is found across North America with a range covering NA sc, se Canada and c, e USA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Northern Parula belong to?
The Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) belongs to the Parulidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Northern Parula eat?
The Northern Parula is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Northern Parula migrate?
The Northern Parula is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Northern Parula endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Northern Parula make?
1 real field recording of the Northern Parula — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Northern Parula's range?
The Northern Parula has a mapped global range of about 3.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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