Georgia · Year-round resident

Pine Warblers in Georgia

When pine warblers are present in Georgia, when they nest, which native Georgia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 7a–9a yard.

Wood-warblers (Parulidae)Pine WarblerSetophaga pinus
Status in Georgia
Year-round resident
Nesting window
March–June
Broods
1–2 per season
Hardiness zones
USDA 7a–9a

When to expect pine warblers in Georgia

Pine Warblers live in Georgia all year. Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward pine seeds and feeder suet.

Humid subtropical, with cooler mountains in the north and a warm coastal plain in the south.

Nesting in Georgia

Across Georgia, pine warblers typically nest from March–June. Nest site: cup high on a pine branch. Females lay 3–5 eggs, incubate for 10–13 days, and young leave the nest after 10 days.

Hot, humid summers; bluebirds can raise three broods but boxes in full sun overheat.

  • Pine Warblers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, eastern red cedar, serviceberry for nest sites.
  • Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native Georgia plants that attract pine warblers

Of the regional native plants we track for Georgia, these 8 provide food or cover pine warblers use:

Flowering dogwood
Cornus florida · Tree

High-fat fall fruit critical before migration and winter.

Eastern red cedar
Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Winter berry-cones and dense roosting cover.

Serviceberry
Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries.

White oak
Quercus alba · Tree

Supports hundreds of caterpillar species used to feed nestlings.

Black cherry
Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry
Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Arrowwood viburnum
Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.

Spicebush
Lindera benzoin · Shrub

Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.

Feeding pine warblers through the Georgia year

Pine Warblers regularly visit suet and sunflower feeders in the Southeast in winter.

  • Best foods: Suet, Hulled sunflower, Peanut hearts.
  • In Georgia's winter: Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north.

Full diet breakdown for pine warblers · Best feeder for pine warblers

Frequently asked

Are pine warblers in Georgia year-round?

Yes. Pine Warblers are year-round residents in Georgia.

When do pine warblers nest in Georgia?

Nesting in Georgia typically runs March–June, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 3–5 eggs, incubated for 10–13 days.

What native plants attract pine warblers in Georgia?

Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, White oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Spicebush are native plants in Georgia that provide food or cover for pine warblers.

Pine Warblers in other regions

Other backyard birds in Georgia

Sources

  1. Pine Warbler — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Pine Warbler life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Pine Warbler — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
  4. eBird region overview and bar charts — Georgia
  5. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
  6. Audubon Native Plants Database

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.