Townsend's Warbler

Townsend's Warbler, adult male, breeding plumage

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Townsend's Warbler, female

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A bird of the Pacific Northwest, the Townsend's Warbler nests in coniferous forests from Alaska to Oregon. It winters in two distinct areas: in a narrow strip along the Pacific Coast, and in Mexico and Central America.

Description

• Small songbird.
• Chest and face yellow.
• Stripes down sides of chest.
• Two white wingbars.
• Dark face patch.
• Dark crown.
• Black in throat.

• Size: 12 cm (5 in)
• Wingspan: 20 cm (8 in)
• Weight: 7-11 g (0.25-0.39 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male with black markings and all black throat; female similar but duller, with olive in place of most black.

Sound

Song a series of buzzy notes on one pitch, followed by several on different pitch, usually rising: "Zee-zee-zee-zee-dee-du-dee."

Conservation Status

Populations stable or increasing slightly.

Other Names

Paruline de Townsend (French)
Chipe negroamarillo (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Townsend's Warbler hybridizes with the Hermit Warbler where their ranges overlap in Oregon and Washington. The hybrid zones are rather narrow and appear to be slowly moving, with the more aggressive Townsend's Warbler displacing the Hermit Warbler.

• On the wintering ground in Mexico, the Townsend's Warbler feeds extensively on the sugary excretions of scale insects. Although the warbler usually forages in the tops of trees, it will use patches of the honeydew-producing insects at whatever height it finds them. It will defend territories around trees infested with the insects against other Townsend's Warblers as well as other bird species.

• The male Townsend's Warbler begins to sing before it leaves its wintering grounds.

• Sometimes a female Townsend's Warbler will partially construct a nest in one tree, then move all the materials to another tree and finish the nest there.

Sources used to construct this page:

Wright, A. L., G. D. Hayward, S. M Matsuoka, and P. H. Hayward. 1998. Townsend's Warbler (Dendroica townsendi). In The Birds of North America, No. 333 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.