Yellow Warbler
Yellow Warbler Video Clips
On May 25, 2006, at 7:30 in the morning, we noticed this Yellow Warbler foraging with Western Tanagers. This is the first Yellow Warbler we've seen on our property.
Yellow Warblers & Short Breeding Season
Unlike other warblers that spend three months on their northern breeding grounds, the Yellow Warbler chooses to spend a quick seven weeks. Just enough time to breed and then it quickly heads back to its tropical winter home.
Yellow Warblers Parasitized By Cowbirds
The Yellow Warbler, as with most warblers, is parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird. These cowbirds are brood parasites laying their eggs in the nests of other birds and leaving the parenting to the smaller host bird.
If the cowbird egg was laid first or if only one Yellow Warbler egg was previously laid, these warblers often reject the cowbird egg. By rejecting the cowbird egg, the warbler makes a new nest elsewhere or builds a new nest on top of the cowbird egg. However, if there are two or more warbler eggs in the nest when a cowbird egg is laid, then the warbler accepts the cowbird egg. This acceptance is unfortunate because the cowbird has a shorter incubation period enabling the chick to grow larger faster and it brings on the demise of the smaller warbler offspring.