Yellow Warbler
artist: Patty Wainwright
part of collaborative effort to create a mountain meadow infographic with John Muir Laws Nature Journal Club members
Yellow Warbler
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae (wood warblers or New World warblers)
Setophaga petechia (previously Dendroica petechia)
(subspecies brewsteri breeds along coastal California)
Yellow Warblers (S. p. brewsteri) migrate in early spring flying during the day (to a greater extent than other warblers) and at night, and refuel during the day. They arrive on breeding grounds from mid- to late April. Males establish territories before the female arrives. Pair bonding lasts one day, after which the female selects the nest site, constructs the nest, and incubates the eggs for approximately 11 days. The males contribute to feeding the young. The young leave the nest in 9-12 days.
S. p. brewsteri migrates south from September to as late as October.
Breeding Habitat:
The breeding range of S. p. brewsteri includes coastal California, Oregon, and Washington. Habitats include wetlands such as wet thickets, shrubs, swamps – especially favoring wetlands dominated by Willow Trees (Salix).
Nests consist of a small cup in the fork of a tree or bush. Fine grasses, fine stems and bark are used for construction of the nest. Feathers, wool, and plant fibers (including Salix) line the inside of the nest. Nest height varies from 2-12 feet.
Egg:
Eggs are grayish to greenish white with dark brownish blotches. Egg size is 17x12 mm.
Food and Feeding:
Insects, spiders, larvae.
Yellow Warblers forage for insects, insect larvae, and spiders at low to middle tree levels by gleaning, and occasionally by hovering and fly-catching.
References:
del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, and D. Christie (editors). 2010. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions. Barcelona.
Dunn, J. and K. Garrett. 1997. Warblers; Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Co.
Fjeldsa, J. L. Christidis, L. and Ericson, Per G. P. (editors). 2020. The Largest Avian Radiation. The Evolution of Perching Birds, or the Order Passeriformes. Lynx Edicions. Barcelona.
Harrison, C. 1978. Field Guide to the Nest, eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins Publishing.
Hauber, M. 2014. The Book of Eggs. A Life-sized Guide to the Eggs of 600 of the World’s Bird Species. The University of Chicago Press.
Laws, J. M. 2016. The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling. Heyday. Berkeley.
Laws, J. M. 2020. How to Draw a Bird’s Nest.
Laws, J.M. 2021. How to Draw Block Diagrams.
Reed, C. A. 1965. North American Bird Eggs. Dover Publications, Inc.
Credits for drawing references:
P. Wainright – Yellow Warbler, insect, and larva photos.
C. Harrison, M. Hauber, C. Reed, J.M. Laws (above) – Egg and nest descriptions.
J.M. Laws – Spider drawing guide and block diagram drawing guide.
Yellow Warbler
artist: Patty Wainwright
part of collaborative effort to create a mountain meadow infographic with John Muir Laws Nature Journal Club members
Yellow Warbler
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae (wood warblers or New World warblers)
Setophaga petechia (previously Dendroica petechia)
(subspecies brewsteri breeds along coastal California)
Yellow Warblers (S. p. brewsteri) migrate in early spring flying during the day (to a greater extent than other warblers) and at night, and refuel during the day. They arrive on breeding grounds from mid- to late April. Males establish territories before the female arrives. Pair bonding lasts one day, after which the female selects the nest site, constructs the nest, and incubates the eggs for approximately 11 days. The males contribute to feeding the young. The young leave the nest in 9-12 days.
S. p. brewsteri migrates south from September to as late as October.
Breeding Habitat:
The breeding range of S. p. brewsteri includes coastal California, Oregon, and Washington. Habitats include wetlands such as wet thickets, shrubs, swamps – especially favoring wetlands dominated by Willow Trees (Salix).
Nests consist of a small cup in the fork of a tree or bush. Fine grasses, fine stems and bark are used for construction of the nest. Feathers, wool, and plant fibers (including Salix) line the inside of the nest. Nest height varies from 2-12 feet.
Egg:
Eggs are grayish to greenish white with dark brownish blotches. Egg size is 17x12 mm.
Food and Feeding:
Insects, spiders, larvae.
Yellow Warblers forage for insects, insect larvae, and spiders at low to middle tree levels by gleaning, and occasionally by hovering and fly-catching.
References:
del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, and D. Christie (editors). 2010. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions. Barcelona.
Dunn, J. and K. Garrett. 1997. Warblers; Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Co.
Fjeldsa, J. L. Christidis, L. and Ericson, Per G. P. (editors). 2020. The Largest Avian Radiation. The Evolution of Perching Birds, or the Order Passeriformes. Lynx Edicions. Barcelona.
Harrison, C. 1978. Field Guide to the Nest, eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins Publishing.
Hauber, M. 2014. The Book of Eggs. A Life-sized Guide to the Eggs of 600 of the World’s Bird Species. The University of Chicago Press.
Laws, J. M. 2016. The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling. Heyday. Berkeley.
Laws, J. M. 2020. How to Draw a Bird’s Nest.
Laws, J.M. 2021. How to Draw Block Diagrams.
Reed, C. A. 1965. North American Bird Eggs. Dover Publications, Inc.
Credits for drawing references:
P. Wainright – Yellow Warbler, insect, and larva photos.
C. Harrison, M. Hauber, C. Reed, J.M. Laws (above) – Egg and nest descriptions.
J.M. Laws – Spider drawing guide and block diagram drawing guide.