Midwest · Mississippi Flyway
Warblers in Michigan
Warblers in Michigan come down to 38 species with regular eBird records, led by the Common Yellowthroat. Together they account for 1,169,808 of the 20 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 6.0% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Redstart, Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Palm Warbler, Pine Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Northern Parula, Blackburnian Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Wilson's Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Canada Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Kirtland's Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Yellow-breasted Chat, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler and Black-throated Gray Warbler. Wood-warblers are small, active, often brightly colored insect-eaters, and for many birders they define spring migration. A few species winter in the southern states; most breed in the north and pass through in April–May and again in September–October.
Warblers in Michigan: every species, most-reported first
Every warbler with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) — 149,490 records, 0.8% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to September and peaking in June.
2. Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) — 145,804 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to July and peaking in May.
3. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) — 121,326 records, 0.6% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in April, May, September and October with a peak in October.
4. American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) — 107,890 records, 0.6% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to September and peaking in June.
5. Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla) — 64,655 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May, June, August and September with a peak in September.
6. Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) — 53,308 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to September and peaking in September.
7. Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) — 51,395 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to July and peaking in June.
8. Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) — 45,451 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May, June, August and September with a peak in May.
9. Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) — 43,127 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in April, May, September and October with a peak in May.
10. Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) — 42,808 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to September and peaking in June.
11. Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) — 37,768 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May, August and September with a peak in September.
12. Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) — 35,703 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May, August and September with a peak in September.
The remaining 26 species — Chestnut-sided Warbler, Northern Parula, Blackburnian Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Wilson's Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Canada Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Kirtland's Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Yellow-breasted Chat, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler and Black-throated Gray Warbler — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see warblers in Michigan
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, warblers are most prominent in May, September and June and least in February and January. None of the 38 species is a year-round resident, so the timing below is everything.
Summer visitors. Common Yellowthroat arrives around May and is mostly gone after September (peak June); Yellow Warbler arrives around May and is mostly gone after July (peak May); American Redstart arrives around May and is mostly gone after September (peak June); Black-throated Green Warbler arrives around May and is mostly gone after September (peak September); Ovenbird arrives around May and is mostly gone after July (peak June); Pine Warbler arrives around April and is mostly gone after September (peak June).
Passage migrants. Yellow-rumped Warbler is reported mainly in April, May, September and October; Nashville Warbler is reported mainly in May, June, August and September; Black-and-white Warbler is reported mainly in May, June, August and September; Palm Warbler is reported mainly in April, May, September and October; Tennessee Warbler is reported mainly in May, August and September; Magnolia Warbler is reported mainly in May, August and September.
Attracting warblers to Michigan backyards
Warblers rarely visit seed feeders. Native trees and shrubs that host insects, a shallow moving-water feature, and no pesticides are what bring them into a yard, especially during migration.
In Michigan the warbler most likely to turn up is the Common Yellowthroat. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Warblers in Michigan: FAQ
How many species of warblers are there in Michigan?
38 species of warblers have regular eBird records in Michigan (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Redstart, Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Palm Warbler, Pine Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Northern Parula, Blackburnian Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Wilson's Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Canada Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Kirtland's Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Yellow-breasted Chat, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler and Black-throated Gray Warbler.
What is the most common warbler in Michigan?
The Common Yellowthroat, with 149,490 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Yellow Warbler with 145,804. It is a summer visitor, present mainly from May to September and peaking in June.
When is the best time to see warblers in Michigan?
May, September and June, when the combined share of Michigan eBird records belonging to warblers is highest. Summer visitors such as the Common Yellowthroat arrive around May.
More birds in Michigan
Warblers in other states
Warblers in Michigan: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: Michigan records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Parulidae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.