Pine Warblers in Pennsylvania
When pine warblers are present in Pennsylvania, when they nest, which native Pennsylvania plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5a–7b yard.
- Status in Pennsylvania
- Summer breeder
- Nesting window
- April–June
- Broods
- 1–2 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5a–7b
When to expect pine warblers in Pennsylvania
Pine Warblers are summer residents in Pennsylvania, arriving shortly before nesting begins in April and leaving after the young are independent. Through the season they feed on caterpillars and beetles in pines.
Humid continental; cold, snowy winters in the north and mountains, milder in the southeast.
Nesting in Pennsylvania
Across Pennsylvania, pine warblers typically nest from April–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.
Warm summers; bluebirds typically raise two broods.
- Pine Warblers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as black cherry, white oak, flowering dogwood for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.
Native Pennsylvania plants that attract pine warblers
Of the regional native plants we track for Pennsylvania, these 8 provide food or cover pine warblers use:
Summer fruit and a major caterpillar host.
Acorns and insects.
Fall seed.
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Feeding pine warblers through the Pennsylvania year
Pine Warblers regularly visit suet and sunflower feeders in the Southeast in winter.
- Best foods: Suet, Hulled sunflower, Peanut hearts.
- In Pennsylvania's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.
Full diet breakdown for pine warblers · Best feeder for pine warblers
Frequently asked
Are pine warblers in Pennsylvania year-round?
No. Pine Warblers are summer breeders in Pennsylvania and leave for the winter.
When do pine warblers nest in Pennsylvania?
Nesting in Pennsylvania typically runs April–June, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 3–5 eggs, incubated for 10–13 days.
What native plants attract pine warblers in Pennsylvania?
Black cherry, White oak, New England aster, Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Bur oak, American elderberry are native plants in Pennsylvania that provide food or cover for pine warblers.
Pine Warblers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Pennsylvania
Sources
- Pine Warbler — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Pine Warbler life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Pine Warbler — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Pennsylvania
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- 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.