Wilson's Warbler
Cardellina pusilla
Small, active, bright yellow warbler. Most birds (adults of both sexes and young males) have a black cap; young females lack this feature. Also note the rather long, narrow tail that is actively flipped around while foraging. Extensive breeding range across northern and western North America; more common in the west than east. Prefers dense thickets, especially with willows and alders. Winters primarily in Mexico, extending as far south as Panama. Migrants and wintering birds are found in any brushy wooded habitat. Listen for husky chip notes. Compare with Yellow Warbler, but note Wilson’s is smaller, smaller-billed, and has a relatively longer, thinner tail.
Identification
Wilson's warbler is a small passerine, ranging from 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) in length, with a wingspan of 14–17 cm (5.5–6.7 in) and a mass of 5–10 g (0.18–0.35 oz). It has a plain green-brown back and yellow underparts. The male has a small black cap. Males of the western race C. p. chryseola are greener above and brighter than males of the eastern, nominate race. Individuals from Alaska and the west-central portion of the species' range average slightly larger than those found in eastern and Pacific coastal populations. Its song is a chattering series of loud descending notes. The call is a flat "chuff".<p>Wilson's warbler resembles the yellow warbler: the latter is readily distinguished by its different shape, yellow wing markings, and yellow tail spots.
Taxonomy
Wilson's warbler was formally described in 1811 by the ornithologist Alexander Wilson under the binomial name Muscicapa pusilla. The type locality is southern New Jersey. The species was moved to the genus Wilsonia by the naturalist and ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1838. Zoologist Thomas Nuttall moved it to Sylvania in 1840, and by 1845, many authors included it in Myiodioctes. In 1899, the American Ornithological Union returned the species to Wilsonia. The species is currently assigned to the genus Cardellina. The genus name Cardellina is a diminutive of the Italian dialect Cardella, a name for the European goldfinch, and the specific epithet pusilla means "very small".<p>There are three recognized subspecies:<p>The chryseola subspecies, which nests in northern coastal California to southwestern coastal Canada, has a distinctive orange-tinged yellow forehead. The population of the subspecies has declined sharply in the 21st century because it migrates preferentially to the southern end of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, where luxury resort and residential developments have replaced the bird's habitat.
- Scientific name
- Cardellina pusilla
- Authority
- (Wilson, A, 1811)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Parulidae
- Genus
- Cardellina
Range and habitat
The breeding habitat is fairly open woodland with undergrowth or shrubs and thickets in moist areas with streams, ponds, bogs, and wet clearings.Wilson's warbler breeds in northern Canada and the western US; it winters in overgrown clearings and coffee plantations, forest edges, deciduous forests, tropical evergreens, pine-oak forests, mangroves, thorn-scrub, riparian gallery forests, brushy fields, and mixed forests . At all seasons, it prefers secondary growth, riparian habitats, lakes, montane and boreal forests with overgrown clearcuts. It is a very rare vagrant to Western Europe.
- Breeding range
- NA : w, n
- Non-breeding range
- MA
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Nesting generally begins in early March in west coast populations, and extends into August in the northern range. The female does the majority of the nest building. The cup nest is typically constructed of vegetation and lined with grasses and hair. It is often sunken into moss or sedges at the base of shrubs. The clutch varies from 2 to 7 eggs, which are creamy or off-white with fine reddish spots. The young are altricial. The montane populations generally have a higher clutch size and nest success rate than those on the coast. The eggs hatch at 11–15 days and the young fledge at 8–13 days; adults care for them for several weeks. Some montane populations are polygamous (one male breeds with multiple females). Wilson's warbler is a frequent host for the brown-headed cowbird.<p>Wilson's warbler is an insectivore, feeding primarily on insects gleaned from leaves and twigs, or caught by flycatching. Some of these insects include beetles, bees, or caterpillars. Wilson's warbler is an active forager, moving rapidly through shrubs, on the ground, and sometimes in taller trees during the winter. Feeding birds often twitch their tails or flick their wings nervously. The observed feeding rate of the male Wilson's warbler was not significantly different between males with or without mates.It also eats a few berries.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Cuban Martin
Progne cryptoleuca
A graceful aerial feeder found over a wide variety of open habitats, especially near water, including marshes and towns. Often chooses exposed perches including power and telephone lines in villages. Commonly found in flocks of up to twenty birds, sometimes mixing with other swallows and martins. The adult male is entirely glossy purple-blue and is inseparable in the field from male Purple Martins. The male Caribbean Martin can be distinguished by its bright white belly. Female and immature Cuban Martins resemble females and immatures of both Purple and Caribbean Martin. Purple Martin in such plumages can be identified by a scaly breast pattern and often fine streaks on the belly, which is lacking on female and immature Cuban Martins. Female Cuban Martins are probably not safely separable from Caribbean Martin, though on average the Cuban Martin has more restricted brown on chest. Note that Caribbean and Purple Martins are not present in this species’ range from March to September, which can help eliminate confusing species. Calls include a harsh “churr,” a buzzy “zwick-zwick,” and a musical buzzy burbling.
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