Find birds by looking for the bugs they love.
This year, on World Migratory Bird Day, we highlighted the special relationship between birds and the bugs that power their epic journeys. As warmer weather comes, birds and bugs buzz with life! For bird lovers, this is the perfect time to seek insect hatches to enhance your birding experience—and we'll show you how.
Insect hatches, when the next generation of a species emerges en masse, can occur at any time of the year or within a specific window. With the Bird Migration Explorer, you can pinpoint the exact time insect-loving birds are in your area!
The Yellow Warbler's species migration map.
Here are three showstopping birds and the insects they love:
Yellow Warbler
The bright, sweet song of the Yellow Warbler is a familiar sound in waterside willows and woodland edges—the perfect habitat for various insects. Up to two-thirds of the Yellow Warbler's diet includes several types of caterpillars. They also feed on mayflies, moths, mosquitoes, beetles, damselflies, treehoppers, and other insects, like spiders.
Eastern Whip-poor-will
The iconic call of the Eastern Whip-poor-will echoes through the eastern woods on summer nights. During the day, these camouflaged birds rest motionless on branches or the ground, taking flight at dusk to feed on moths and other insects conveniently illuminated by moonlight.
Olive-sided Flycatcher
The Olive-sided Flycatcher is a long-distance migrant that primarily breeds in northern coniferous forests and feeds almost entirely on flying insects. In summer, their diet consists of various kinds of wasps, winged ants, and bees, including many honeybees. They also eat beetles, grasshoppers, true bugs, moths, and more.
No matter where or when they happen, the frenzy of feasting is an opportunity to witness diverse species and fascinating behaviors. Learn more with this primer on five popular insect hatches and the birds you'll likely see there. | | | | |
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