Hermit Warbler
Setophaga occidentalis
Yellow-faced warbler of western coniferous forests. Males are almost entirely yellow-headed with black nape and throat, gray upperparts with white wingbars, and whitish underparts. Females much duller with pale throat and dingy gray belly, and always show a blank yellow face (some with faint olive cheek patch). Hybridizes with Townsend's Warbler where ranges overlap. Favors conifers on breeding and wintering grounds. Migrants found in a variety of wooded habitats. Feeds on insects, often high in treetops.
Identification
Hermit warblers are dark gray in coloration on top, and white below, and their flanks are streaked with black. The wings have two diagonal white wing bars. The majority of the hermit warbler's head is yellow, and males have a dark black throat, while females have much less black on their throat bib and immature birds have no black throat. Both males and females measure 5.5 inches (14 cm) in length, 0.3 to 0.5 oz (8.5 to 14.2 g) in weight, and 7.9 in (20 cm) in wingspan.
Taxonomy
Genus: Setophaga; Family: Parulidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Setophaga occidentalis
- Authority
- (Townsend, JK, 1837)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Parulidae
- Genus
- Setophaga
Range and habitat
Hermit warblers are common, but incredibly shy, birds that dwell in open coniferous forests. They are also found in wetter habitats for nesting, and in various mountain habitats. Their summer breeding range is the majority of the west coast of the United States up to Washington. They will sometimes winter in south-west California, but they are migratory and will winter in Central America as far south as Panama. Other nesting habits are mostly unknown. During migration they can be found in both coniferous and deciduous habitats as well as water lined wooded areas, desert oases, and in suburban areas. You can usually find these birds in Tall Coniferous forest, Douglas fir, Pine, Redwood, and in the mountain like areas.<p>The range of the hermit warbler is expected to change as the climate warms, the breeding range expected to expand north and east but lose much of the current range in Northern California as well as some range in parts of Oregon, Washington, and Canada. Extreme warming will put them at risk of heat waves as well as flooding during the nesting season.
- Breeding range
- NA : w USA
- Non-breeding range
- MA
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Gray Ground-Thrush
Geokichla princei
An enigmatic thrush of lowland primary and secondary forests, often in areas with lots of cover near water. Gray-brown overall with distinctive double white wingbars and double black bars in the ear patch. Similar to the equally unknown Black-eared Ground-Thrush, but note Gray Ground-Thrush’s plain gray-brown appearance and brighter white wingbars. Song is unknown, but reported to give a sharp, sibilant call.
Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush
Pterorhinus ruficeps
Large songbird, brown above, white below, with orange crown, dark mask, and snow-white throat. Inhabits montane forests, though it frequently descends into foothills and lowlands during the winter. Moves about through low and mid-level vegetation in large flocks. Vocalizes frequently, if not always loudly; commonly heard giving a rattling chatter or a quiet, hiccuping pair of notes.
Collared Lory
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A beautiful multicolored parrot with a dark purple crown, a bright green neck, a red chest and throat, a purple belly, and green upperparts and undertail. The bright yellow bill is obvious. Widespread in most habitats, including towns and gardens. Unique within its range. A typically parrot-like “tzreet” is the most common call, with similar squabbling calls often heard.
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