Townsend's Warbler

Dendroica townsendi

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family PARULIDAE

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

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.

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.

Description

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

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

• Yellow crescent under eye.
• Belly and under tail white.
• Back greenish with thin dark stripes.
• White spots in outer tail feathers.
• Male yellow with black throat, black crown, black face patch.

Sex Differences

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

Male

Crown and throat black. Face yellow. Black cheek patch with yellow crescent under eye. Black streaks extend from throat down sides. Chest and sides yellow. Belly and under tail white. Back olive green with black streaks or spots. Two white wingbars.

Female

Crown olive-green with thin black streaks. Cheek patch olive. Cheek, throat, chest, and sides yellow. Some black markings in throat. Back olive with thin black streaks. Belly and under tail white. Two white wingbars.

Immature

Immature similar to adult female. Immature female with indistinct streaking on back and without black in throat.

Similar Species

• Adult male distinctive. Female and immatures resemble other closely related species.
• Black-throated Green Warbler has a more green and unmarked back, less well-defined cheek patch, and some yellow at the vent under the tail.
• Golden-cheeked Warbler has yellow face with distinct dark line through eye, not a large patch, and less yellow on chest.
• Hermit Warbler has yellow eyering and an indistinct face patch, yellow forehead, and lacks yellow on chest and stripes down sides.

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."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from central Alaska through British Columbia to Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana.

Winter Range

Winters in narrow band along Pacific Coast from British Columbia to Baja California, and in Mexico and Central America.

Habitat

• Breeds in tall coniferous and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests.
• Winters in variety of habitats, including chaparral, mature forest, suburban gardens, and parks.

Food

Insects and honeydew excreted by scale insects.

Behavior

Foraging

Gleans insects from leaf surfaces and needles in upper third of tree canopy. Hawks insects and hover-gleans.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Bulky open cup of bark, pine needles, small twigs, dried grass, lichens, and spider cocoons. Lined with fine grasses, moss, or hair. Placed on main limb in coniferous tree, well concealed by foliage.

Egg Description

White with brown speckles.

Clutch Size

3-7 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless with tufts of down.

Conservation Status

Populations stable or increasing slightly.

Other Names

Paruline de Townsend (French)
Chipe negroamarillo (Spanish)

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.