Yellow Rumped Warbler

Continuing to share my warbler photos along with information about each species, from my latest book: "Warblers of Arizona, A Guide to Finding and Photographing Warblers in Southern Arizona." 

If you are interested in purchasing it, please email me at exclusivelywildlifephotos.com or info@azuregate.com.

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Common Name: Yellow Rumped Warbler

Scientific Name: Setophaga coronata

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Conservation Status: Least Concern, stable population with estimates of 130 million

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Size: 5.5 inches

Description: blue gray head, nape, and back with black streaks; black cheek; yellow crown patch; yellow rump; yellow shoulder; white undereye arc; thin white supercilium; white throat and sides of neck; black breast; white belly; black flanks; two large wingbars that merge on the male during breeding; large distinctive tail with large white spots and black edges; white undertail coverts; Myrtle subspecies has whitish throat instead of yellow; and darker cheek

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Male/Female: female lacks the yellow crown patch; duller yellow throat

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Range: throughout North and Central America

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Migration: summers in Canada and the Western United States, winters in the southern parts of the United States and throughout Mexico and Central America

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Season for Arizona: year round with higher winter populations

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Habitat: during breeding season mature coniferous and mied coniferous-deciduous woodlands in higher elevations; during the winter abundant in municipal parks, rivers, and streams

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Community Behavior: solitary; but often with large flocks of Yellow Rumps and sometimes mixed warbler/titmouse flocks

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Feeding Behavior: flit through the canopies of coniferous trees cling to bark looking for hidden insects; will sally out to catch insects just like flycatchers

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Diet: insects and spiders, fruits, berries, and seeds; will also come to suet feeders

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Nesting Behavior: female builds nest sometimes from material the male brings to her; open cup nest of twigs, pine needles, grasses, and rootlets lined with fine hair and feathers; nest takes about 10 days to build; 3-4 inches across and 2 inches deep; placed on a horizontal branch of a hemlock, spruce, cedar, pin, or fir (occasionally maple or oak) anywhere from 4 to 50 feet off the ground; 1-6 white eggs with brownish spots; incubation period is 12-13 days; nestling period is 10-14 days

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Where to Find in Southern Arizona: any of the mountain ranges and municipal parks

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Comments: most abundant and versatile of all warblers