The Black-throated Blue Warbler inhabits large tracts of relatively undisturbed hardwood and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests in the northeastern United States and southern Canada, southward along the higher elevations of the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. Most individuals migrate along the eastern seaboard from the Atlantic coast to and including the Appalachians, and most winter in forested habitats of the Greater Antilles— from Puerto Rico to Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola—with some in the Bahamas and a few along the Yucatan coast and Belize.

Males and females of this species differ strikingly in appearance, so much so that the two sexes were considered separate species by early naturalists, including Wilson ( Wilson, A. (1810). American ornithology or the natural history of birds of the United States. Vol. 2. Philadelphia, PA: Bradford and Inskeep. Close Wilson 1810) and Audubon ( Audubon, J. J. (1841). The birds of America, from drawings made in the United States and their territories. Vol. 3. Philadelphia, PA: J. J. Audubon. Close Audubon 1841). This is one of the paruline warblers that does not molt into a “confusing fall plumage,” so individuals can be identified easily year-round. Nevertheless, populations differ somewhat in plumage, notably in the amount of dark streaking on the crown, dorsal feather s, and wing coverts in males—a character once used to separate two subspecies, but now questioned. A bird of the forest interior, the Black-throated Blue Warbler probably suffered loss of numbers over the last 300 years from extensive deforestation during the settlement of North America by Europeans. In more recent decades, however, as fields and pastures in the heart of its range have returned to forest, populations have appear to be increasing. In the future, loss of forests in its Caribbean winter grounds could reverse that trend. The latter is supported by evidence suggesting that changes in the extent and quality of winter habitat in the eastern Greater Antilles may be affecting abundances in the southern part of the species' breeding range ( Rubenstein, D. R., C. P. Chamberlain, R. T. Holmes, M. P. Ayres, J. R. Waldbauer, G. R. Graves and N. C. Tuross. (2002). Linking breeding and wintering ranges of a Neotropical migrant songbird using table isotopes. Science no. 295:591-593. Close Rubenstein et al. 2002).

The Black-throated Blue Warbler is one of the most intensively studied passerine species in North America. It is one of the few migratory songbirds for which the demography of populations has been examined in both breeding ( Holmes, R. T., T. W. Sherry, P. P. Marra and K. E. Petit. (1992). Multiple-brooding, nesting success, and annual productivity of a neotropical migrant, the Black-throated Blue Warbler (Dendroica caerulescens), in an unfragmented temperate forest. Auk no. 109:321-333. Close Holmes et al. 1992, Holmes, R. T., P. P. Marra and T. W. Sherry. (1995). Habitat-specific demography of breeding Black-throated Blue Warblers (Dendroica caerulescens): implications for population dynamics. J. Anim. Ecol. no. 65:183-195. Close Holmes et al. 1995, Rodenhouse, N. L. and R. T. Holmes. (1992). Food limitation for breeding Black-throated Blue Warblers: results of experimental and natural food reductions. Ecology no. 73:357-372. Close Rodenhouse and Holmes 1992, Sillett, T. S., R. T. Holmes and T. W. Sherry. (2000). Impacts of a global climate cycle on population dynamics of a migratory songbird. Science no. 288:2040-2042. Close Sillett et al. 2000, Sillett, T. S., N. L. Rodenhouse and R. T. Holmes. (2004). Experimentally reducing neighbor density affects reproduction and behavior of a migratory songbird. Ecology no. 89:2467-2477. Close Sillett et al. 2004, Sillett, T. S. and R. T. Holmes. (2002). Variation in survivorship of a migratory songbird throughout its annual cycle. J. Anim. Ecol. no. 71:296-308. Close Sillett and Holmes 2002, Sillett, T. S. and R. T. Holmes. (2005). "Long-term demographic trends, limiting factors, and the strength of density dependence in a breeding population of a migratory songbird." In Birds of Two Worlds: Advances in the Ecology and Evolution of Temperate-Tropical Migration Systems., edited by R. Greenberg and P. P. Marra, 426-436. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. Close Sillett and Holmes 2005, Rodenhouse, N. L., T. S. Sillett, P. J. Doran and R. T. Holmes. (2003). Multiple density-dependence mechanisms regulate a migratory bird population during the breeding season. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. no. 270:2105-2110. Close Rodenhouse et al. 2003, Nagy, L. R. and R. T. Holmes. (2004). Factors influencing fecundity in migratory songbirds: is nest predation the most important? J. Avian Biology no. 35:487-491. Close Nagy and Holmes 2004, Nagy, L. R. and R. T. Holmes. (2005a). Food limits annual fecundity of a migratory songbird: an experimental study. Ecology no. 86:675-681. Close Nagy and Holmes 2005a, Nagy, L. R. and R. T. Holmes. (2005b). To double-brood or not? Individual variation in the reproductive effort in Black-Throated Blue Warblers (Dendroica caerulescens). Auk no. 122 (3):902-914. Close Nagy and Holmes 2005b) and wintering areas ( Holmes, R. T., T. W. Sherry and L. R. Reitsma. (1989). Population structure, territoriality, and overwinter survival of two migrant warbler species in Jamaica. Condor no. 91:545-561. Close Holmes et al. 1989, Holmes, R. T. and T. W. Sherry. (1992). "Site fidelity of migratory warblers in temperate breeding and neotropical wintering areas: implications for population dynamics, habitat selection, and conservation." In Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrant landbirds., edited by J. M. Hagan Iii and D. W. Johnston, 563-575. Washington, D.C: Smithson. Inst. Press. Close Holmes and Sherry 1992, Wunderle, Jr., J. M. (1992). "Sexual habitat segregation in wintering Black-throated Blue Warblers in Puerto Rico." In Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrant landbirds., edited by J. M. Hagan Iii and D. W. Johnston, 299-307. Washington, D.C: Smithson. Inst. Press. Close Wunderle 1992, Wunderle, Jr., J. M. (1995). Population characteristics of Black-throated Blue Warblers wintering in three sites on Puerto Rico. Auk no. 112:931-946. Close Wunderle 1995, Sherry, T. W. and R. T. Holmes. (1996b). Winter habitat quality, population limitation, and conservation of Neotropical-Nearctic migrant birds. Ecology no. 77:36-48. Close Sherry and Holmes 1996b, Sillett, T. S., R. T. Holmes and T. W. Sherry. (2000). Impacts of a global climate cycle on population dynamics of a migratory songbird. Science no. 288:2040-2042. Close Sillett et al. 2000, Sillett, T. S. and R. T. Holmes. (2002). Variation in survivorship of a migratory songbird throughout its annual cycle. J. Anim. Ecol. no. 71:296-308. Close Sillett and Holmes 2002). Most of these studies have focused on the factors and processes that limit and/or regulate populations and where they operate, for example in breeding or non-breeding areas. In addition, survivorship has been assessed for the oversummer (May-August), overwinter (Oct-March), and migratory periods ( Sillett, T. S. and R. T. Holmes. (2002). Variation in survivorship of a migratory songbird throughout its annual cycle. J. Anim. Ecol. no. 71:296-308. Close Sillett and Holmes 2002), an analysis that has thus far not been made for any other migratory songbird. Also, the connectivity between breeding and wintering sites for individuals and populations has been studied through analyses of stable isotope ratios in warbler tissues, mainly feathers ( Chamberlain, C. P., J. D. Blum, R. T. Holmes, X. Feng, T. W. Sherry and G. R. Graves. (1997). The use of isotope tracers for identifying populations of migratory birds. Oecologia no. 109 (1):132-141. Close Chamberlain et al. 1997, Rubenstein, D. R., C. P. Chamberlain, R. T. Holmes, M. P. Ayres, J. R. Waldbauer, G. R. Graves and N. C. Tuross. (2002). Linking breeding and wintering ranges of a Neotropical migrant songbird using table isotopes. Science no. 295:591-593. Close Rubenstein et al. 2002, Graves, G. R., C. S. Romanek and A. R. Navarro. (2002). Stable isotope signature of philopatry and dispersal in a migratory songbird. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA no. 99:8096-8100. Close Graves et al. 2002, Bearhop, S., G. M. Hilton, S. C. Votier and S. Waldron. (2004). Stable isotope ratios indicate that body condition in migrating passerines is influenced by winter habitat. Proc. Royal Soc. Lond. B no. 271:S215-S218. Close Bearhop et al. 2004). Studies have also been conducted on population fluctuations and regional synchrony in breeding areas ( Holmes, R. T. and T. W. Sherry. (2001). Thirty-year bird population trends in an unfragmented temperate deciduous forest: importance of habitat change. Auk no. 118:589-609. Close Holmes and Sherry 2001, Jones, J., P. J. Doran and R. T. Holmes. (2003b). Climate and food synchronize regional forest bird abundances. Ecology no. 84:3024-3032. Close Jones et al. 2003b), range-wide age-ratios ( Graves, G. R. (1997b). Geographic clines of age ratios of Black-throated Blue Warblers (Dendroica caerulescens). Ecology no. 78:2524-2531. Close Graves 1997b), breeding habitat use ( Steele, B. B. (1992). Habitat selection by breeding Black-throated Blue Warblers (Dendroica caerulescens) at two spatial scales. Ornis Scand. no. 23:33-42. Close Steele 1992, Steele, B. B. (1993). Selection of foraging and nesting sites by Black-throated Blue Warblers: their relative influence on habitat choice. Condor no. 95:568-579. Close Steele 1993, Holmes, R. T., P. P. Marra and T. W. Sherry. (1995). Habitat-specific demography of breeding Black-throated Blue Warblers (Dendroica caerulescens): implications for population dynamics. J. Anim. Ecol. no. 65:183-195. Close Holmes et al. 1995), mating systems and paternity ( Chuang, H. C., M. S. Webster and R. T. Holmes. (1999). Extrapair paternity and local synchrony in the Black-throated Blue Warbler. Auk no. 116:726-736. Close Chuang et al. 1999, Chuang-Dobbs, H. C., M. S. Webster and R. T. Holmes. (2001b). The effectiveness of mate guarding by male Black-throated Blue Warblers. Behavioral Ecology no. 12:541-546. Close Chuang-Dobbs et al. 2001b, Chuang-Dobbs, H. C., M. S. Webster and R. T. Holmes. (2001a). Paternity and parental care in the Black-throated Blue Warbler, Dendroica caerulescens. Anim. Behav. no. 62:83-92. Close Chuang-Dobbs et al. 2001a, Webster, M. S., H. C. Chuang-Dobbs and R. T. Holmes. (2001). Microsatellite identification of extrapair sires in a socially monogamous warbler. Behav. Ecol. no. 12:439-446. Close Webster et al. 2001), responses to forest management practices ( Bourque, J. and M. A. Villard. (2001). Effects of selection cutting and landscape-scale harvesting on the reproductive success of two neotropical migrant bird species. Conservation Biology no. 15 (1):184-195. Close Bourque and Villard 2001, Harris, R. J. and J. M. Reed. (2001). Territorial movement of Black-throated Blue Warblers in a landscape fragmented by forestry. Auk no. 112:544-549. Close Harris and Reed 2001, Harris, R. J. and J. M. Reed. (2002b). Effects of forest-clearcut edges on a forest-breeding songbird. Can. J. Zool. no. 80:1026-1037. Close Harris and Reed 2002b, Harris, R. J. and J. M. Reed. (2002a). Behavioral barriers to non-migratory movements of birds. Ann. Zool. Fennici no. 39:275-290. Close Harris and Reed 2002a), and other related topics.