Wilson’s Warbler: A Dazzling Yellow-faced and Bellied Bird with a French Beret and Olive Green Wings
A bird in seemingly constant motion, with its wings flicking and its tail swaying. This bird is easily recognized by its dazzling yellow midsection and face, offset by olive-green wings, with the male sporting a sprightly French beret.
Wilson's Warbler prefers to settle into low, dense stands of alders, willows, and various shrubs. It is similar to its cousins, the Yellow Warbler and the Orange-Crowned Warbler.
The breeding range for all three species extends much further north than most other warblers, covering a significant portion of Gold Country and Canada, running south through much of the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. It also extends down to the West Coast, reaching southern California.
During the winter months, the Wilson's Warbler can be found in Mexico and Central America, with a few individuals wandering along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana, as well as southern California. This makes the bird a migrant that travels only a moderate distance.
Currently, there are three known subspecies of Wilson's Warbler, based on various factors such as color, size, and body structure. The western birds exhibit the most vibrant plumage of all and may have diverged enough genetically to be recognized as a distinct species.
Meet this beautiful bird known as the Wilson's Warbler
A bird that is easily recognized by its dazzling yellow midsection and face
Like nearly all wood warblers, the Wilson's Warbler feeds on both adult and larval insects. It will occasionally scavenge for berries, particularly during winter.
A bird that sports a sprightly French beret
A beautiful bird offset by olive-green wings
Wilson's Warbler is primarily a seasonal monogamous bird, although it can be polygynous, meaning a male may mate with more than one female, which is somewhat common in mountain populations. In suitable habitats, this warbler can be found settling into loose groups in overlapping territories.
Wilson's Warbler is primarily a seasonal monogamous bird, although they can also be polygynous
The female Wilson's Warbler typically builds her cup-like nest from leaves, greenery, and rootlets on the ground, located at the base of a small tree or shrub and concealed by thick vegetation. The Pacific coast population is an exception, as they usually nest a few feet above the ground amidst a dense thicket of plants or shrubs.
Isn't she a beauty? Yes, she is!
Is it hunting time?
The female lays four to six eggs and does most of the brooding. Both parents feed their young, and the chicks fledge when they are about 10 days old.
The Brown-headed Cowbird often parasitizes the western population of Wilson's Warblers.
A stunning bird indeed
Wilson's Warbler prefers to settle into low, dense stands of alders, willows, and various shrubs
Wilson’s Warbler is still common, although it has experienced an inevitable population decline, particularly in the West, primarily due to the loss of riparian habitats. What are your thoughts about this dazzling yellowish-green bird?
Let us know by leaving a reply in the comment section below.
For more details, please visit abcbirds.org.
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