![]() ![]() Click here to visit this species' account and breeding-season distribution map in Sound to Sage, Seattle Audubon's on-line breeding bird atlas of Island, King, Kitsap, and Kittitas Counties.In the bird world, nothing says fall is here like the influx of Yellow-Rumped Warblers, coming back to over-winter with us here in Oakmont from the far-northern and higher-elevation woods where they breed. The Myrtle form is most common in winter on the southern coast of Washington, from Ocean Shores (Grays Harbor County) southward. There are no records of this Alaskan breeder nesting in Washington. The Myrtle form of Yellow-rumped Warbler is a common migrant and winter resident in Washington. Most Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warblers leave Washington in the winter, but they can be very common in winter in the Tri-Cities area (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick), and are uncommon in other lowlands throughout the state. This form is most common in drier forests at higher elevations in eastern Washington, and in the northeast Olympics. The Audubon's form breeds in coniferous forests throughout the state. The two subspecies of Yellow-rumped Warbler are present in varying numbers at different times of the year. Juveniles look similar, although Myrtles have more extensive pale throats than do Audubon's. Males in breeding plumage also have black masks with slight, white eye-lines above the masks and less black on the breasts. Myrtles have white, rather than yellow, throats, and the males do not have white patches between their white wing-bars. Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warblers are similar in appearance to Audubon's, with a few distinctions. ![]() Immature birds are dull brown with yellow on their rumps and sides, but lack yellow on their throats and heads. In flight, white outer tail corners are noticeable. Adults in non-breeding plumage are much duller in color, more brown than gray. Males also have blacker breasts and grayer backs, and are generally much more brightly marked than females. Males have a significant amount of white between the wing-bars. Females in breeding plumage have two white wing-bars. Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warblers also have yellow throats. They have yellow rumps, although the wings can obscure this field mark, and yellow spots on the sides of their breasts, partially tucked under their wings. During spring migration and the breeding season, Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warblers are blue-gray streaked with black above, with broken white eye-rings and a yellow spot on their crowns. The Myrtle form is here in migration and winter only. The Audubon form breeds here and is present year round. There are two subspecies of Yellow-rumped Warbler, both of which can be seen in Washington. The female usually builds the nest and incubates four to five eggs for up to two weeks. Many supplement their insect diet with some seeds and fruit, primarily in fall and winter, and some also eat nectar. Warblers eat insects gleaned from foliage or captured in the air. Warblers that live high in the treetops generally have higher-pitched songs than those that live in the understory. Their songs are generally dry, unmusical, often complex whistles (“warbles”). Most North American warblers do not molt into a drab fall/winter plumage the challenge posed to those trying to identify warblers in the fall results from looking at mostly juvenile birds. North American males are typically brightly colored, many with patches of yellow. Warblers that nest in the understory tend to have pink legs and feet, while those that inhabit the treetops usually have black legs and feet. Most of the North American members of this group are migratory, returning in the winter to the tropics where the family originated. Wood-warblers, usually called “warblers” for short by Americans, are strictly a New World family. This large group of small, brightly colored songbirds is a favorite of many birdwatchers. ![]()
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