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
- 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
Like most warblers the hermit warbler eats a strict diet of insects and spiders, and can often be found hanging upside-down from the ends of conifer branches, like a chickadee, probing for food.<p>Nests are neat and cup-shaped, constructed from stems, grass, twigs, and pine needles positioned near the tip of a branch high in a conifer tree. The female will lay between three and five eggs, which are white in color and heavily spotted with brown and lilac speckles. Other incubation habits are mostly unknown.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Orange-browed Hemispingus
Kleinothraupis calophrys
Greenish and golden tanager of low, dense understory and midstory of humid montane forest just below treeline in the central and Northern Bolivian Andes, including adjacent extreme SE Peru. Distinguished from other hemispinguses by rich orange-gold supercilium and throat. Travels in pairs in mixed species flocks, generally within two meters of the ground. Song a very high, long, uneven twittering,
Dwarf Cassowary
Casuarius bennetti
A huge flightless bird of hill and montane forest; occasionally in lowland rainforest, especially where other cassowary species are absent. The smallest member of the family. Plumage loose and black in adults, brown in juveniles. Adults have a bright blue neck with a red patch on the lower nape. Also note the low, rounded casque. Very secretive and seldom seen. Forages for fallen fruit on the forest floor. Similar to other cassowary species but smaller in size, with lower casque, lacking wattles and does not normally co-occur.
Moustached Kingfisher
Actenoides bougainvillei
A large, unmistakable blue-and-orange kingfisher. Deep blue wings and tail contrast with pale buffy chest and bright orange head. Has a bright orange bill and unique blue horizontal lines on the face, one starting behind the eye and another starting below the base of the bill. Found in mature undisturbed forest above 800 meters of elevation, though possibly below. Apparently most active at dawn and dusk, perhaps into darkness. Voice little known, but has been heard giving a short, loud bubbling, churring call.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.