Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia)

One of the cutest little warblers ever!

 

The male.

Small warbler with olive-yellow upperparts and bright yellow underparts with rust-brown streaks on breast, sides. Wings are dark with two white bars. Tail is dark with yellow-tinged edges. Has a wider range than any other North American warbler. Eats insects, larvae, and some fruit. 

Preferred habitats include edges of marshes and swamps, willow-lined streams, leafy bogs, thickets, orchards, farmlands, forest edges, and suburban yards and gardens.

 

This is the female.

The nests of the Yellow Warbler are frequently parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird. The warbler often builds a new nest directly on top of the parasitized one, sometimes resulting in nests with up to six tiers.

Preferred habitats include edges of marshes and swamps, willow-lined streams, leafy bogs, thickets, orchards, farmlands, forest edges, and suburban yards and gardens.

 

The basic mating song of the yellow warbler is often written as “sweet-sweet-sweeter-than-sweet” or “sweet-sweet-I’m-so-sweet”, but males sing various other songs as well, some of which resemble those of the magnolia or chestnut-sided warbler or the American redstart.