The genus name Setophaga is from Ancient Greek ses, "moth", and phagos, "eating", and the specific magnolia refers to the type locality.

American ornithologist Alexander Wilson found this species in magnolias near Fort Adams, Mississippi.

During the winter, the warbler migrates through the eastern half of the United States to southern Mexico and Central America.

In migration it passes through the eastern part of the United States as far west as Oklahoma and Kansas.

The first molts begin while the young offspring are still living in the nest, while the rest take place on or near their breeding grounds.

Chicks hatch after a two-week incubation period, and can fledge from the nest after close to another two weeks when their feathers are more developed.

[9] Rare hybrids between the magnolia warbler and the congeneric American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) have been documented on two occasions, in Ohio, USA, and Quebec, Canada.

[5] These birds also tend to eat parts of the branches of mid-height coniferous trees, such as spruce firs,[11] in their usual breeding habitat.

The magnolia warbler is assessed on the IUCN Red List as least concern for conservation because it is fairly widespread and common within its habitat and not at risk of extinction.

Research has shown that a good percentage of warblers die from flying into television towers in their migratory path.

[1][16] John James Audubon illustrated the magnolia warbler in The Birds of America, Second Edition (published, London 1827–38) as Plate 123 under the title, "Black & Yellow Warbler – Sylvia maculosa" where a pair of birds (male and female) are shown searching flowering raspberry for insects.