The Yellow-rumped Warbler has a large breeding range. During the spring and summer in the western side of its range, it can be found as far north as central Alaska and as far south as Central America. Its breeding range stretches across Canada, but in the eastern United states, the Yellow-Rumped Warbler is only seen as far south as the Great Lakes states.

The winter range extends from the southern states to the West Indies and Central America. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is a facultative migrant (it moves with food availability and weather) and so has a drastically changing winter range depending on yearly conditions (Stokes and Stokes 1996; Granlund 1999).

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Breeding

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Coronata breeds from Alaska and Mackenzie south through Canada to north-central and northeastern U.S.; winters from northwestern, central, and east-central U.S., eastern Mexico (including Yucatan Peninsula), through Central America to Panama (and accidently into northern Colombia and Venezuela), and in Caribbean from the Bahamas through the Greater Antilles, rarely as far east as Virgin Islands. AUDUBONI breeds from British Columbia south through the western U.S. into Baja California; winters from southwestern Canada south throughout western Mexico through Guatemala and uncommonly to Honduras. NIGRIFRONS breeds (and is probably a permanent resident) from northwestern Chihuahua south through the Sierra Madre Occidental through Durango and probably to Jalisco. GOLDMANI is a permanent resident of the highlands of western Guatemala and adjacent Chiapas.

Birds of either sex in all plumages have a yellow rump and a yellow patch on their side just in front of each wing. During the breeding season, male and female also have a yellow crown patch and white tail patches. There are two subspecies (previously considered separate species), the north and eastern Myrtle Warbler and the western Audubon's Warbler. The breeding male Myrtle Warbler has white eyebrows, a white throat, and white sides of neck while the Audubon's Warbler has no eyebrows and a yellow throat. Females and non-breeding males show the same basic pattern but are duller in color than their breeding counterparts (Stokes and Stokes 1996; Dunn 1999; Georgia Wildlife Website 2000).

Average mass: 11.5 g.

Average basal metabolic rate: 0.1895 W.

Length: 14 cm

Weight: 13 grams

• Terrestrial

A highly adaptable bird, the Yellow-rumped Warbler can be found in a variety of habitats including coniferous forest, mixed woodlands, deciduous forest, pine plantation, bogs, forest edges, and openings. In the winter it is often found in brushy thickets of bayberry and wax myrtle (Stokes and Stokes 1996; Granlund 1999).

Terrestrial Biomes: taiga ; forest

Comments: Nests in forests or open woodlands. In migration and winter found in open forests, woodlands, savanna, roadsides, pastures, and scrub habitat (incl. mangrove thickets in Puerto Rico). May be seen in parks and gardens. Nests on branches 1-15 m above ground.

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Basically a long-distance migrant in the U.S. and Canada; migrations may be more localized in some areas of the West. Extent of migration varies annually depending on environmental conditions. Arrives in Puerto Rico usually in November, departs by March-April (Raffaele 1983). In Costa Rica, often appears by mid-September but not regular before mid-October, departs by late March (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

The Yellow-Rumped Warbler feeds mainly on insects in the summer and on berries and fruit in the winter. Yellow-rumped Warblers are capable of assimilating 80% of wax-coated berries such as bayberries. They have developed unique gastrointestinal traits to allow them to subsist on this unusual food source.

The Yellow-Rumped Warbler comes to bird feeders for fruit and suet (Gill 1995; Stokes and Stokes 1996; Granlund 1999).

Comments: Feeds on insects (ants, wasps, flys, beetles, mosquitoes, etc.), spiders, some berries and seeds. May drink tree sap. In fall, winter, and spring in the eastern U.S., feeds extensively on Myrica fruits (Place and Stiles, 1992, Auk 109:334-345). Forages by moving slowly over trunks and branches, also catches insects in flight, and hops on ground picking up small insects and spiders or plucking them from grass (Costa Rica, Stiles and Skutch 1989).

In winter, generally occurs in flocks; occasionally solitary (Rappole and Warner 1980).

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 6.9 years.

The Yellow-rumped Warbler breeds in monogamous pairs. A neat cup made of twigs, bark strips, rootlets, and lined with grasses, hair, and feathers serves as a nest for the Yellow-rumped Warbler. The nest is placed on a horizontal branch near the trunk of a conifer tree 5 to 50 feet in height (the average height of the nest is 20 feet). The outside diameter of the nest is 7.6 to 8.9 cm.

Four to five cream eggs with brown spots are laid, and incubation lasts 12 to 13 days. The chicks are altricial and fledge 12-14 days after hatching. Two broods may be raised in a season (Stokes and Stokes 1996; Granlund 1999; Georgia Wildlife Website 2000).

Average time to hatching: 12 days.

Average eggs per season: 4.

Clutch size is 4-5. Incubation lasts 12-13 days, by female. Nestlings are tended by both parents, brooded by female. Young leave nest in 12-14 days (Harrison 1978)

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is abundant throughout its range and is probably the most abundant of all warbler species. The Breeding Bird Survey and the Christmas Bird Count in the last 25 years have shown that populations of the Yellow-rumped Warbler are rising at around 2% (or less) per year (Stokes and Stokes 1996).

US Migratory Bird Act: protected

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

No known negative impacts on humans.

As an insect eater, the Yellow-rumped Warbler may benefit humans by eating potentially harmful (or painful) insects.

Comments: Composed of two groups, formerly regarded as distinct species: auduboni (Audubon's Warbler) and coronata (Myrtle Warbler) (AOU 1998). D. coronata now considered to consist of D. c. auduboni, D. c. coronata, D. c. nigrifrons, and D. c. goldmani. See also DeBenedictis (1982) for taxonomic comments.