A big warbler year in the US is on the table

Tropical Parula, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Mangrove Yellow Warbler, Queen Isabella Causeway east, South Padre Island, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Rufous capped Warbler, Sycamore Canyon, Nogales, AZ, Feb 24, 2026

After thinking about it since the beginning of the year I have decided to finally pull the trigger and try for a big warbler year in the US.  It is something I have thought about doing for years and now that I'm retired I have the time.  I had not committed at the start of the year as I was not sure if I could get it to come together, I was worried about Wilson and I was not sure on the costs.  After a productive stay in Florida from early January into early February that netted me 21 species including an overwintering Swainson's Warbler, a short trip to south Texas that produced Tropical Parula and Mangrove Yellow Warbler and a trip to southeast Arizona that held multiple new species including Rufous capped Warblers plus the fact that access in the Big Bend NP for Colima Warbler will be curtailed starting this May for at least two years I decided to try to throw together series of trips that would have a good chance of seeing all the regularly occurring warbler species in the US.  At this point (mid March) I have found 28 species of the 51 somewhat regularly occurring species.  There is always the chance that something will come up with Wilson that will derail the plans but I'm hopefully that will not happen.  Here is the plan going forward to see the species I have yet to see.  I will be taking a whirlwind trip to Texas and then Arizona in early April.  In Texas I hope to see Golden cheeked Warbler in the hill country and then Colima Warbler at Big Bend NP.  Arizona will hopefully net me Lucy's Warbler, Virginia Warbler, Grace's Warbler and Red faced Warbler (on the early side for that species).  During May and into June I hope to catch up with a number of eastern/southern warblers both at home and likely a trip down south of home...location to be determined.  In early July I will make a short stop in Minnesota/Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan for Golden winged Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler and Kirtland's Warbler before heading to Alaska and then Oregon on the way home.  Between Alaska and Oregon I should be able to add MacGillivray Warbler and Hermit Warbler.  There is also the slim chance of finding one of the rarely occurring warbler species that have showed up in the US before (Crescent chested Warbler, Gray crowned Yellowthroat, Fan tailed Warbler, Golden crowned Warbler and Slate throated Redstart) although that chance is quite low.  In addition I'm also toying with the idea of a late year trip to Puerto Rico to add two more species for the year with Elfin Woods Warbler and Adelaide's Warbler.

Short get away to Texas for Tropical Parula and Mangrove Yellow Warbler

Mangrove Yellow Warbler, Queen Isabella Causeway east, South Padre Island, TX, Feb 19, 2026

I just made a brief down to the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas starting on Wednesday and continuing through early Saturday.  I made the trip mainly to try to track down a couple warbler species with the main one being a Tropical Parula for me in the US (I have seen the species many times in the tropics) and the other being a Mangrove Yellow Warbler.  I arrived into Harlingen in the middle of the afternoon on Wednesday and then made the drive down to my Airbnb in Brownsville.  The weather was very windy and warm when I arrived and these conditions unfortunately continued every day.  By the time I drove down, did some shopping and dropped off my stuff at my Airbnb it was late afternoon.  Although I didn’t think I would have much luck so late in the day with the wind I made a trip down to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) to try to locate one of two male Tropical Parula known to be at the site.  As expected the wind was just too strong and there was little activity during my stop.  At least I was able to recon the area a bit so I would know how to get around on the following morning.

Tropical Parula, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Yellow throated Warbler, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Northern Parula, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Northern Parula, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Orange crowned Warbler, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 19, 2026

American Redstart, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Black and White Warbler, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Nashville Warbler, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Mangrove Yellow Warbler, Queen Isabella Causeway east, South Padre Island, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Mangrove Yellow Warbler, Queen Isabella Causeway east, South Padre Island, TX, Feb 19, 2026

Mangrove Yellow Warbler, Queen Isabella Causeway east, South Padre Island, TX, Feb 19, 2026

On Thursday the 19th I was out before dawn and headed back down to the UTRGV campus. The wind was still strong before the sun came up and continued for my entire time there. Once it brightened a bit I started getting some warblers with the first being Common Yellowthroats and then Yellow rumped Warblers (mainly Myrtle’s with one Audubon’s) plus some Orange crowned Warblers and a Yellow throated Warbler.  I then caught sight of a male Tropical Parula and then a Yellow rumped chased it away and I got just a few poor photos.  One target down and my 51st warbler species ever in the US.  I then spent the next two plus hours trying to relocate the bird with no luck with that.  However I did keep finding warblers and eventually had a dozen species including other notables for the area like American Redstart and Tennessee Warbler as well as a female Tropical Parula x Northern Parula hybrid.  The small area was really great for warblers with a dozen species and I can only imagine how much better it would be when there is no wind.  With my target Tropical Parula seen and not reappearing for photos, I decided to make the 45 minute drive out to South Padre Island and try my luck in finding a Mangrove Yellow Warbler. Once again I had some great tips from Aidan on where to try for the bird and most importantly where to park.  Once I crossed over the causeway to the island I quickly found multiple Mangrove Yellow Warblers and got some photos of this recently split species.  There were at least three present with a couple singing occasionally and I got some crappy recordings.  I have seen the species extensively in the tropics but only once before in the US and that was in Florida where the species does not have the full rusty head like the subspecies in far south Texas.  I also added a Northern Waterthrush for the day in the mangroves and my total number of warblers for the day finished at 14 with four of those new for the year for me….my best warbler day for the year so far.  I considered heading back down to the campus to try to get photos of the Tropical Parula late in the afternoon once I was back at my Airbnb but honestly I did not relish dealing with the absolutely shitty roads of Brownsville. The roads in Brownsville are a mess with poor conditions and signage and reminded me more of driving in a third world country than the US.

Orange crowned Warbler, Estero Llano Grande SP, Westlaco, TX, Feb 20, 2026

Wilson's Warbler, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 20, 2026

Tennessee Warbler, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 20, 2026

Nashville Warbler, UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 20, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', UTRGV, Brownsville, TX, Feb 20, 2026

For my last full day in Texas on Friday I headed west to visit a few spots away from Brownsville.  There had been a female Tropical Parula seen at Estero Llano Grande SP so that gave me a good excuse to head there.  During previous trips to the valley I found the park to be very productive and it once again produced some good stuff.  I arrived before dawn and was able to start exploring the park right away.  I walked a variety of trails before making it to the area where the Tropical Parula had been seen.  It was overcast with fairly light winds early on and was a nice break from the winds…the mosquitoes unfortunately loved the conditions too and they were a bit of a bother.  The parula had been reported coming into a water drip set up so that is where I waited for it.  After about 15 minutes a group of birds were moving through the dense vegetation near the drip and included two Orange crowned Warblers, a Nashville Warbler and the Tropical Parula.  I got brief looks at it and I hoped it would come down to the drip but that was not to be.  Eventually the Orange crowned Warblers came down and enjoyed the water.  I waited for over 45 minutes and then checked some nearby areas without every seeing the parula again.  The park produced five species of warblers during my time there.  The sun was breaking through as I was leaving to make a stop at Santa Anna NWR and the temps jumped into the 80’s quickly and the damn wind picked up.  The refuge was very quiet so I left to work my way back toward my Airbnb.  With the slightly less windy conditions present I decided to drive directly back to the UTRGV campus to try to relocate the Tropical Parulas there.  Despite spending three hot hours looking and listening I never did see the Parula for certain…I had a brief view of a warbler getting chased by a Yellow throated Warbler and Black throated Gray Warbler that may have been the parula.  It was still worth the stop even without getting the parula as I had eleven species of warblers including a couple unusual species including American Redstart and Tennessee Warbler.  By the end of the day I found a dozen species of warblers.

Orange crowned Warbler, Hugh Ramsey Park, Harlingen, TX, Feb 21, 2026

Wilson's Warbler, Hugh Ramsey Park, Harlingen, TX, Feb 21, 2026

I had a late morning flight out of Harlingen on my way to Arizona on Saturday and I was only able to get a little birding in before heading to the airport.  I decided to try my luck at Hugh Ramsey Park which is not too far from the airport.  I arrived there before dawn and during my two and a half hours there I found four species of warblers.  

Overall for the trip I found a total of 15  species of warblers with five of them new for me in Texas (Yellow throated Warbler, Tropical Parula, Black throated Green Warbler, Mangrove Yellow Warbler and Northern Waterthrush).  The short trip produced four new warbler species for the year for me and brought that total up to 25 species and put me on a good course for a warbler big year in the states.

Split of Yellow Warbler gets me a new species of warbler

Mangrove Yellow Warbler (Greater Antillean), Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020

Mangrove Yellow Warbler (Martinique), Reserve Naturelle de La Caravelle, Martinique, Dec 13, 2017

Mangrove Yellow Warbler (Martinique), Reserve Naturelle de La Caravelle, Martinique, Dec 13, 2017

Northern Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 25, 2025

There has been a recent split of Yellow Warbler that has resulted in me gaining a new warbler species without having to go anywhere!  Yellow Warbler has now been split into Northern Yellow Warbler (the migratory form that breeds in North America and winters in the tropics) and Mangrove Yellow Warbler (the resident form that breeds in coastal locations from just into the US south through Central America to northern South America and throughout the Caribbean).  Visually the Northern Yellow Warbler males have all yellow heads while the Mangrove Yellow Warblers have rufous/chestnut coloration on the head varying from just the cap to a full hood (depending on subspecies).  I have seen multiple subspecies of Mangrove Yellow Warblers over the years during my travel in the tropics but have not yet had it in the US (hopefully I will catch up with one in Texas in a few weeks).  It was a split that was overdue given the difference in plumage, habitat, migratory pattern and even song and I was glad to finally see it come to pass.  With this split the number of new world warblers recognized by eBird stands at 116 species (with two of those almost certainly extinct) and I have seen 106 with the only remaining species for me being in the remote Darian on the Panama/Colombia border and in Venezuela.