Winter Warblers

While the North American continent waits in eager expectation for spring, the Central Valley of California is already enjoying its first glimpses of that most glorious season: Some birds are defending breeding territory through enthusiastic song, while others are already going about the business of nest site selection, nest building, even egg-laying.  

For many North American birders, the return of warblers in the spring is a special time of year, and one that we Californians eagerly await as well.  But we've also been enjoying a few species of warblers all winter.  Notably, Common Yellowthroats, Orange-crowned Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers all spend the winter right here in the Valley, often in our own backyards!  (Black-throated Gray and Townsend's Warblers are around all winter as well, but they're not nearly as frequently encountered, in my experience.)

Male Common Yellowthroat

I was blown away when I first learned that a bird as gorgeous as the Common Yellowthroat could be found so near by home, and wondered how on earth I hadn't discovered this delightful fact sooner.  

Common Yellowthroats inhabit damp areas of tangled vegetation where they tend to skulk low in the brush or reeds, and now that I know where to look, I encounter them frequently along wetland edges and riparian areas, where they often stay partially hidden (and can be very difficult to photograph!)

Male Common Yellowthroat

Typically, the first clue to the presence of a Common Yellowthroat is its call (described as a low, husky "chuck") or its rollicking song, and time spent listening often pays off in a sighting of one of these beautifully bright yellow, masked warblers.  Females are significantly less bright in color, but no less charming.

Orange-crowned Warbler, displaying its rarely-seen orange "crown"

Orange-crowned Warblers (the orange "crown" of which is rarely visible!) are usually considered somewhat "drab" by warbler standards, but in the dead of winter, as these little gems flit around my garden, heedless of the fog, I wonder how anyone could ever think that!  

Enjoy this amusing view of an Orange-crowned Warbler from the front!

Orange-crowned Warblers breed in a wide range of forest types, and during the winter I see them around the Valley in a wide variety of habitats as well, from forest and chaparral to my own backyard.  And it's worth mentioning that my backyard Orange-crowned Warblers have a penchant for visiting my hummingbird feeders!

Female (or immature) Yellow-rumped Warbler in autumn

Yellow-rumped Warblers, also affectionately known as "butter-butts" and "swarm warblers," are by far the most numerous of our winter warblers, occurring in large numbers almost anywhere there are trees.  Their subtle "chek" calls are easy to overlook, filtering softly down through the canopy as loose flocks forage actively above, but are impossible to ignore once you know what to listen for!

Male Yellow-rumped Warbler

In April and May, more warblers make an appearance in the Central Valley: Nashville, MacGillivray's, Hermit and Wilson's Warblers pass through on their way to their northerly forested breeding grounds, while Yellow Warblers return to breed in riparian areas.