Worm-eating Warblers keep me company as I hike on my mountain, letting me know that they’re on the trails with me with their song. It’s a trill, sounding like an insect, and quite similar to the song of the Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina).

They are birds that are in the eastern US for only the breeding season. During the winter they seek the warmer locations of southern Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.

Their name is a bit misleading. They don’t eat Earthworms but mostly eat caterpillars and grubs supplementing those with slugs, spiders, and insects.

I enjoy that they love birdbaths so much, giving me an opportunity to see them out in the open rather than getting a too brief glance while they’re up in the trees hiding among the leaves.