Bird Photos
Species Accounts
Conservation Issues
| |
Yellow-rumped (Myrtle)
Warbler
(Dendroica coronata)
Banded October 21, 2002 - Carmel, Indiana
General Information
The Yellow-rumped Warbler is a relatively new species created by lumping
several subspecies, especially the eastern Myrtle Warbler (D. c. coronata),
and the western Audubon’s Warbler (D. c. auduboni). The bird pictured below,
in fall or basic plumage, is a member of the northern and eastern form of
the Yellow rumped Warbler complex, and is one of the most abundant and
widespread of all warblers.
These birds breed in the coniferous forests of Canada, Alaska and the
western US where they consume large numbers of beetles, weevils, wood
borers, scale insects, sawfly larvae, flies, mosquitoes, gnats spiders and
aphids. This hardy species winters in Central America and the West Indies,
and in the southern US northward to the snow line. In winter months, they
feed on fruits such as bayberry, dogwood, cedar, Virginia creeper, palmetto,
and especially the berries of the wax myrtle from which they get their name.
Berries of the poison ivy plant are also a favorite during winter months.
These birds will also visit feeders for peanut butter mix, grass seeds,
suet and sunflower seed.
|
The yellow rump, two white wing
bars, a white throat, a white underside with dark streaking, and a narrow
white supercilium stripe are diagnostic. This bird is from 5 to 6 inches
long. Weights range from one-third to three quarters of an ounce. The amount
of overlap in plumage between adults and first year males and females makes
fall identification in the field problematical to say the least.
Based on ID criteria, the bird pictured here is likely a
first year male in fall (basic) plumage (skull ossification incomplete, wing
chord 75 mm, tail 61 mm, extent of white on retrices and amount of blue in
wing and upper tail coverts).
|
Figure 1 - Yellow-rumped Warbler
|
Figure 2 - Yellow-rumped Warbler
|
This warbler has a white
throat, and a narrow white supercilium stripe above the eye. The breast and
underside is white with dark streaking. The closely related Audubon’s race
has a yellow throat and lacks a supercilium stripe.
|
The yellow rump of this species
occurs in all plumages except the juvenile. Also note the black centers of
the back feathers and the otherwise bluish upper tail coverts.
|
Figure 3 - Yellow rump
|
Figure 4 - Yellow-rumped Warbler
|
This view shows the color
pattern of the upper side. The head and back are brownish, the upper tail
coverts and retrices show bluish, and the white patches on the outer tail
feathers are also visible.
|
The three outer tail feathers
of the Yellow-rumped Warbler show distinctive white patches. The extent of
these patches varies by age, species and individual differences. Adults tend
to have more extensive white patches.
|
Figure 5 - Yellow-rumped Warbler tail
|
Nesting Behavior
The Yellow-rumped Warbler is probably the most widespread breeder of the
warblers. This species breeds in conifer woodlands. A cup nest of twigs,
bark strips, hair, moss and other materials is located on a branch from 4 to
50 feet up. From 4 to 5 eggs, incubated by the female, hatch in 12 to 13
days. Young birds, tended by both parents, fledge in about two weeks. Two
broods may be raised in a season. In the west, intergrades and hybrids of
Myrtle and Audubon’s Warblers occur.
Banding Recoveries
According to the web page of the Bird Banding Lab, a total of 824 Myrtle
Warblers were banded between 1914 and 2000. Of these, 704 have been
encountered. Banding shows that these birds live more than 6 years in the
wild. They are faithful to their wintering ground, returning year after year
to the same winter territory.
If you should recover a banded bird, you can report the band number to
the Bird Banding Lab by calling 1-800-327-BAND.
Economic Importance and Conservation Status
The Yellow-rumped Warbler is probably the most abundant and widespread of
the warblers. These birds perform a valuable service by consuming large
numbers of insect pests year round, and by consuming and dispersing seeds of
many species of berries in winter months. They leave their breeding grounds
in late September, and arrive on their wintering grounds from late September
to late October. Males of this species are likely to be the first warblers
seen moving north in the spring. Their northern breeding grounds are
relatively undisturbed, resulting in healthy population replacement from
year to year.
Back to Top | Back to Bird
Photos Menu
All images are courtesy of CWBO. All image copyrights are owned by CWBO.
Any use of these images must have permission of CWBO. |
|
