What's a Cerulean Warbler?

That was my question when I first saw this cute Animal Tails organic cotton t-shirt. If I would just stop to think: cerulean is a shade of blue, warbler is a songbird. Simple; a blue songbird.

Because of its declining population, this beautiful little bird is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

This charming girl's top is Rubi J's current Special of the Day at http://www.rubij.com/. Here's what the hang tag says:

"I live in North America in old deciduous forests, and migrate to the Andes in South America for my summer holidays. I am a real dare devil, I bungee jump out of my nest, and only open my wings when right underneath. I'm into recycling - if I need to remake my nest, I always take the bits of spider web I used to make the first nest.

Male cerulean warblers love to spend the day singing in the tree tops. They help find nesting space by following the females singing softly in a whisper. The male also guards the nest when the female goes off hunting.

My population plummeted in the 1990s, and continues to fall due to felling of forests for coffee plantations. I need the forest to live and feed off all the insects - it would be okay if I liked coffee..... but bugs are my thing!"

The Audubon Society reports a quarter of U.S. birds are in decline. Now for the good news. We can all help. Birds rebound nicely when their environment improves. We can all start our own backyard conservation. Research on the web which birds are common to your area (easy with Google). Then, plant a tree, bush or flowers that attract them. Simple, yet effective. A great project this summer of the kids.

Here's my BBF, Julieanna, at the zoo with her Animal Tails t-shirt and broken arm. She was jumping on the bed and missed. The cast didn't slow her down. She's my little songbird.