| Species
Account Winter Range
Southern Central America and northern South America, including central Guatemala and
northern Honduras southward to northern and western Venezuela and western Columbia,
generally more abundant on the Caribbean side.
Breeding Habitat
Occupy a wide variety of early successional or disturbed habitats that vary geographically
across the bird's range. These include abandoned farmland, shrubby fields, successional
forest, pine barrens, conifer plantings, abandoned strip mines, clear cuts, utility right
of ways, alder swamps, tamarack bogs, and beaver wetlands. The common features of these
habitats are patches of dense herbaceous growth and shrubs, as well as scattered trees
within the territory and, often, a forested perimeter.
Description
Golden-winged Warbler
Male: gray above and white below, often with a slight wash of buff-yellow on
nape, back and/or undersides. Forehead yellow. Distinguished primarily by extensive yellow
wing patch and chickadee-like face pattern, with black eye patch and throat.
Female: similar to the male, but duller. The gray throat patch can be
indistinct. Females often have more yellow on the nape, back and/or undersides than males.
Blue-winged Warbler
Male: bright yellow crown and underparts, a greenish-yellow back and nape, a
blue-gray wing and tail, a black line through the eye, and two separate, white wing bars
often tinged with yellow.
Female: similar to males but have duller yellow and gray; paler wing bars often
not as pronounced.
Brewster's Warbler
Male: a hybrid with white underparts, yellow forehead, gray back, and a black
line through the eye. Some may have yellow on the chest. Wing bars are intermediate
between the two parental species.
Female: paler and have more dingy gray on back and yellow on chest than males.
Lawrence's Warbler
Male: a rare hybrid that has a black throat patch and patch through the eye like
the golden-wing. Forehead yellow. Bright yellow underparts, a greenish-yellow back and
nape, and a blue-gray wing and tail.
Female: paler than male, eye and throat patch much less apparent.
Vocalizations
Males of Golden-winged and Blue-winged warblers and their hybrids regularly use a Type I
(sometimes called Type A or the primary song) and a Type II song. The Type I song is
commonly described in field guides and presented on commercial tapes. These are
phonetically represented as zee bee bee bee for golden-wings and beee buzzzz
for blue-wings. This song is given most frequently when males first arrive on a breeding
territory to attract mates and define a territory. Type II songs are similar for both
species and can be described as a sibilant, rapid stutter followed by a lower buzzy note.
This song is often associated with male-to-male aggression. It is also commonly given in
the 20 minutes before dawn, after the female starts to incubate.
Type I songs are distinctly different between golden-wings and blue-wings, but Type II
songs cannot be used to distinguish between the two species. Both respond strongly to each
other's Type II song. Hybrids cannot be distinguished from pure phenotypes by song. A
hybrid male will usually sing the Type I song of one of the other species. Hybrid Type II
songs are virtually identical to their parents' songs.
Click here for sound samples of the songs.
Foraging Strategy
Forages generally in the upper half of small trees and shrubs, often by probing or prying
open both dead and live curled leaves. Frequently hangs on branch tips and twigs,
resembling a chickadee.
Diet
Insectivorous; moths and their pupae, winged insects, caterpillars, and spiders.
Behavior and Displays
Type I song is generally given from a high perch located near the nest. If the male's
territory is very large, then the perch may be located 700-1000ft. (200-300m) from the
nest, close to the neighboring territory. Type II song usually occurs at the edge of a
territory closest to their neighbor's territory. Crown raising, soliciting, tail
spreading, chases, flying past, physical contact during fighting, and the Type II song are
all behaviors associated with territorial defense. Golden-wings and blue-wings usually
ignore each other. Yet in some study sites, behaviorally dominant blue-wings have been
observed driving golden-wings out of optimal habitat, while at other study sites
golden-wings dominate blue-wings.
Courtship
Once females arrive on territory, males spend much time chasing potential mates. Females
rarely approach males, but give a tzips that may stimulate pair formation.
Nesting
Nest site
Often located along the shaded edge of a field, usually on the ground at the base of a
cluster of leafy plant material such as a tussock of grass or sedge. Sometimes the base of
the supporting plant is just off the ground, with thick leafy material obscuring the nest.
Nest height
Golden-winged nests are on or just above ground level. Brewster's and blue-wings often
build nests 0-12in. (0-30cm) higher above ground than the golden-wing, especially second
nests after initial nest failure and shrub leafs are fully developed.
Nest
Built by the female. A coarse structure of grasses, bark, and tendrils on a base of dead
leaves. Lined and woven with long threads of plant material and hair, generally in a
circular pattern often reddish in color. The nest may be well concealed by leaves, hiding
eggs and an incubating female.
Eggs
3-6, usually 4-5. Oval to short oval. White, creamy white with a slight gloss and a
variety of brown markings from fine streaks to blotches concentrated around the larger
end. These eggs are generally more heavily marked than similar Blue-winged Warbler eggs.
Incubation Period
Eggs incubated by the female only, 10-11 days.
Nestling period
Young tended by both parents and leave the nest at 10 days.
Fledgling Period
Parents often divide the fledglings and attend to their respective group. The young
usually disperse off territory within a few days of fledging and may be fed by parents up
to 31 days after they leave the nest.
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