Wetmore and Swales (1931) write: “Though the Cape May warbler is found through the Greater Antilles Hispaniola appears to be the winter metropolis of the species as the birds are found throughout the island often in considerable numbers. In fact their abundance in some localities is almost bewildering to one accustomed to their rarity as migrants in the eastern United States.”
DISTRIBUTION
Range.—Eastern North America and the West Indies.
Breeding range.—The Cape May warbler breeds north to northeastern Alberta (Chipewyan); possibly southwestern Mackenzie (Simpson); northern Saskatchewan (north shore of Lake Athabaska near Fair Point); central Ontario (Moose Factory); and southern Quebec (Lake Abitibi, Lake Edward, and Anticosti Island). East to eastern Quebec (Anticosti Island and Grand Grève); New Brunswick (Tabusintac and Saint John); and Nova Scotia (Wolfville and Stewiacke). South to Nova Scotia (Stewiacke); southern Maine (Ship Harbor, Mount Desert Island; Hog Island, Muscongus Bay; Pemaquid Point; and Auburn); northern New Hampshire (Lake Umbagog); south-central Vermont (Mount Killington); northern New York (North Elba); southern Ontario (Dorcas Bay and Biscotasing); northern Michigan (Newberry and Camp Cusino); northern Wisconsin (Kelley Brook and Harbster); rarely northeastern Minnesota (Gabro Lake); southwestern Ontario (Lac Seul); and central Alberta (Lesser Slave Lake and Sturgeon Lake). West to west-central and northeastern Alberta (Sturgeon Lake and Chipewyan). The Cape May warbler probably breeds in northern Manitoba since it is a regular, though not abundant, migrant in the southern part of the province.
Winter range.—The winter home of the Cape May warbler is in the West Indies north to the Bahamas (Nassau and Watling Island), east and south to St. Lucia, and west to Jamaica and western Cuba (Isle of Pines and Habana). It has also been found on the island of Roatán, Honduras. It was found in Quintana Roo not far from Xcopén on March 13 which is the second record for Mexico; the other is simply “Yucatán.”
Migration.—Late dates of spring departure from the winter home are: Virgin Islands—St. Croix, April 25. Puerto Rico—Mayagüez, April 8. Haiti—Île à Vache, April 30. Cuba—Habana, May 4. Bahamas—Nassau, May 15.
Early dates of spring arrival are: Florida—Key West, March 6. Georgia—Macon, April 7. South Carolina—Chester, April 15. North Carolina—Greensboro, April 13. District of Columbia—Washington, April 19. Pennsylvania—Carlisle, April 30. New York—Geneva, April 30. Massachusetts—Amherst, May 4. Vermont—Clarendon, May 7. Maine—Auburn, May 4. New Brunswick—Scotch Lake, May 8. Nova Scotia—Pictou, May 11. Quebec—Montreal, May 14. Tennessee—Nashville, April 16. Kentucky—Russellville, April 27. Indiana—Bloomington, April 22. Ohio—Oberlin, April 27. Michigan—Ann Arbor, April 27. Ontario—London, May 1; Moose Factory, May 28. Iowa—Davenport, May 2. Wisconsin—Racine, May 2. Minnesota—St. Paul, May 2. South Dakota—Sioux Falls, May 12. North Dakota—Argusville, May 11. Manitoba—Aweme, May 10. Saskatchewan—Indian Head, May 16. Alberta—Medicine Hat, May 17.
Some late dates of spring departure of transients are: Florida—Warrington, May 18. Alabama—Anniston, May 7. Georgia—Round Oak, May 15. South Carolina—Clemson (College), May 17. North Carolina—Arden, May 19. Virginia—Naruna, May 29. District of Columbia, Washington, May 30. Pennsylvania—Doylestown, May 26. New York—Watertown, June 1. Massachusetts—Northampton, June 6. Tennessee—Nashville, May 15. Kentucky—Bowling Green, May 10. Illinois—Chicago, June 3. Indiana—Lafayette, May 31. Ohio—Austinburg June 2. Michigan—Sault Ste. Marie, June 7. Ontario—Ottawa, June 7. Minnesota—Minneapolis, June 1. South Dakota—Sisseton, June 3. North Dakota—Grafton, June 5. Manitoba—Aweme, June 1.
Late dates of fall departure are: Alberta—Camrose, August 26. Saskatchewan—Eastend, August 29. Manitoba—Winnipeg, October 7. North Dakota—Fargo, October 3 (bird banded). Wisconsin—Racine, October 16. Iowa—Iowa City, November 27. Michigan—Detroit, October 16. Ontario—Point Pelee, October 5. Ohio—Cleveland, November 2. Indiana—Waterloo, October 15. Illinois—Rantoul, October 23. Kentucky—Bowling Green, October 15. New Brunswick—Scotch Lake, September 28. Massachusetts—Belmont, November 25. New York—Hewlett, November 15. Pennsylvania—West Chester, October 31. District of Columbia—Washington, November 26. Virginia—Sweet Briar, November 29. North Carolina, Raleigh, November 1. South Carolina—Mount Pleasant, November 3. Georgia—St. Marys, October 31. Florida—Lemon City, November 25.
The Cape May warbler sometimes lingers very late in fall migration. It has been found on Long Island at Hewlett as late as December 4; at Harrisburg, Pa., one was trapped and banded on December 5; it has twice been collected at Washington, D. C., on December 16; one was found at Bethany, W. Va., on December 7; one seen at Brownsville, Tex., on December 22; and reported in December at Key West, Fla.