5 August 2025

I used to think that songbird migration began when the kids go back to school in late August or early September but that’s not true for these two species. Both are already on migration and will soon disappear from our area.

Yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia)

On a walk near Herrs Island on Friday 25 July I heard six yellow warblers singing. On 3 August I heard only one. Yellow warblers are already on the move and will be gone from Pittsburgh by the week of 16 August. We probably have less than 10 days left to see them. Watch them ebb and flow on the eBird weekly abundance map below this photo.

Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula)

Unless you have an oriole feeder (offering oranges or jelly) you probably haven’t seen a Baltimore oriole in a while. The males perch prominently in May but seem to disappear while they nest. During July they’re hard to find in Pittsburgh but that’s about to change.

During the week of 9 August those who nested north of us will arrive on migration. Watch for them soon as they pass through Pittsburgh in the next four weeks. They’ll all be gone by 6 September as shown in the eBird Weekly Abundance animation below this photo.