the blue-winged warbler , vermivora cyanoptera , is a fairly common new world warbler , 11.5 cm long and weighing 8.5 g .
it breeds in eastern north america in southern ontario and the eastern  usa .
its range is extending northwards , where it is replacing the very closely related golden-winged warbler , vermivora chrysoptera .
it was formerly called vermivora pinus , but this name is invalid , as it was given after descriptions of this species and the pine warbler .
the common name blue-winged warbler refers to the bluish-gray color of the wings that contrast with the bright yellow body of the male .
the name of the genus vermivora means "worm-eating" .
the genus used to include nine other new world warblers but now includes only the golden-winged warbler and bachman's warbler which is believed to be extinct .
the blue-winged warbler was one of the many species originally described by linnaeus in his 18th-century work , systema naturae , though the scientific name has changed several times .
the species epithet pinus was given by linnaeus in 1766 but was a mistake as the original description of the species was actually based on illustrations of "pine creepers" drawn by others .
the drawings depicted two different species , what we now call a pine warbler and blue-winged warbler .
in 2010 the blue-winged warbler's scientific name was changed by the american ornithologists union to correct the error .
pine warblers retained the species name pinus but the species epithet for blue-winged warbler was changed to cyanoptera .
this species forms two distinctive hybrids with golden-winged warbler where their ranges overlap in the great lakes and new england area .
the more common and genetically dominant brewster's warbler is gray above and whitish (male) or yellow (female) below .
it has a black eye stripe and two white wing bars .
the rarer recessive lawrence's warbler has a male plumage which is green and yellow above and yellow below , with white wing bars and the same face pattern as male golden-winged .
the female is gray above and whitish below with two yellow wing bars and the same face pattern as female golden-winged .
the blue-winged warbler is a small warbler at 11.412.7 cm (4.55.0 in) long , with a wingspan of 1719.5 cm (6.77.7 in) .
the breeding plumage of the male consists of a bright yellow head , breast and underparts .
there is no streaking of the underparts of the bird .
it has a narrow black line though the eyes and light blueish gray with two white wing-bars , which are diagnostic field marks .
the female is duller overall with less yellow on the crown .
immatures are olive green with wings similar to the adults .
the song is a series of buzzing notes .
the call is a sharp chip .
blue-winged warblers are migratory new world warblers .
they winter in southern central america and breed from east-central nebraska in the west to southern minnesota , wisconsin , michigan and southern ontario in the north to central new york , southern vermont , southern new hampshire and new england to the east , south to western south carolina , northern georgia , northern alabama , eastern tennessee and southern missouri .
it is a very rare vagrant to western europe , with one bird wandering to ireland .
the breeding habitat is open scrubby areas .
