(Setophaga coronata)
The Yellow Rumped Warbler is a year-round resident of Vancouver Island. It is no surprise that this warbler is one of the most familiar warblers in North America.
The Yellow Rumped Warbler is a year-round resident of Vancouver Island. It is no surprise that this warbler is one of the most familiar warblers in North America. This bird is one of the first to arrive in the spring and the last to leave in the fall. During the winter months, it is the most abundant warbler in North America. They were formerly classified as two distinct species; today, the Audubon and Myrtle warblers are both called yellow-rumped warblers.
The Yellow Rumped Warbler can be found throughout North America. Look in brushy coniferous and mixed forests, suburban parks, and agricultural areas. Audubon’s variation is most common in western regions, while the myrtle plumage is more common in the north and east. In winter, these birds migrate to the southern and southeastern United States as well as Mexico and as far south as Guatemala and the western Caribbean. Year-round populations can be found in eastern Arizona and along the Pacific Northwest, including Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.
The Yellow Rumped Warbler can be gregarious, and its high-pitched, whistling trill song is easily recognizable. The pitch remains fairly constant for a 2 to 3-second song that may consist of up to two dozen syllables. The Audubon’s song is lower in pitch than Myrtle’s. Both species use sharp “chek-chek-chek-chek” and “psit-psit-psit” calls.
While these warblers are typically found as solitary birds or in pairs, it’s not uncommon to find many of them in a small area, especially during migration. They will form mixed flocks with other small birds in the winter, and they can easily be seen foraging on the ground or in trees while they hunt for insects.
Yellow-rumped warblers are monogamous birds, and a mated pair can produce 2 broods of 3 to 5 eggs each during the breeding season. The female incubates the eggs for 12 to 13 days, and both parents will feed the young for an additional 10 to 12 days.