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Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Family: Parulidae (Warblers)  |
Description: Because it is a small yellow bird, it's also known as the "wild canary," but unlike canaries, the Yellow Warbler isn't part of the sparrow family. The male is brilliant yellow-olive green. His flight feathers are yellow edged with darker chestnut-redish orange breast streaks, dark bluish-black bill. He has dark cinnamon-brown legs, feet and claws. The female looks similar but is a more dull yellow. Both male and female are said to have yellow eye-rings, but against a completely yellow head, it's not in the least bit distinctive. They are often found in the sunshine in orchards, fruit-gardens, berry bushes and shade trees where insects are plentiful. It takes a sharp ear to tell the difference between the subtle and distinctive songs of different warbler species. But the Yellow Warbler song is said to be louder and more melodious. Warbler songs are high and insect-like, often with hissing, buzzing or lisping qualities. A pecking order expresses the prestige or importance within the group. The dominant bird, or bird in charge, gets to peck the other birds in the flock. The lowest bird gets pecked on the most. Sometimes this rank is established by a single fight where the winner is the last bird to display fear. Or the dominant bird could be established through a series of small scuffles. The head bird also usually gets first choice of food and their first choice of mates. Warblers are not the only bird that establishes a pecking order. Others include chickens, swans, geese, ducks, waders, herons, storks, cranes, crows, sparrows, finches and warblers. The male has a reputation of singing incessantly - with reports of males vocalizing 3,240 songs daily. He is said to be especially motivated when trying to capture the attention of a female warbler and while serenading her while she does all the work and builds their nest. (Sometimes he pitches in). |
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Size: 5 inches Diet: Insects (insectivorous), especially gypsy moths, caterpillars, beetles and weevils. Habitat: Wet habitats, open woodlands, orchards. Breeding Song: "sweet,sweet, sweet,sweet, sweeter, sweeter" Call: "witchitee-witchitee-witchitee-widgit" |
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Nesting: Is in the crook of a small tree or bush. It's a sturdy cup-shaped structure of grasses, softly-lined with down, willow threads and spider webs. Common victim of the nest-trespasser: the Cowbird. The Yellow Warbler might then build a 2nd story nest on top of Cowbird eggs to bury them. As many as 6 stories of nests have been found burying Cowbird eggs. Range: (May - September) The Yellow Warbler migration usually arrives with spring apple blossoms as early as May and begins their return trip to cross the Gulf of Mexico as early as mid July - mid September.
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