Mississippi · Year-round resident

Pine Warblers in Mississippi

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

Wood-warblers (Parulidae)Pine WarblerSetophaga pinus

Status in Mississippi: Year-round resident
Nesting window: March–June
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 7b–9a

When to expect pine warblers in Mississippi

Pine Warblers live in Mississippi all year. Mild winters with rare hard freezes. 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 the Delta in the northwest, piney woods in the south and a short Gulf coastline.

Nesting in Mississippi

Across Mississippi, 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.

Long, hot, humid summers.

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 Mississippi plants that attract pine warblers

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

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

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 Mississippi year

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

Best foods: Suet, Hulled sunflower, Peanut hearts.
In Mississippi's winter: Mild winters with rare hard freezes.

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

Frequently asked

Are pine warblers in Mississippi year-round?

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

When do pine warblers nest in Mississippi?

Nesting in Mississippi 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 Mississippi?

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

Other backyard birds in Mississippi

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird House Sparrow European Starling Rufous Hummingbird White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove

Sources

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.