Yellow Warbler (Dendroica dominica) Deaver D. Armstrong
Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ottawa Co., OH (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II) 5/10/2007 © Darlene Friedman This species sponsored by Todd Alfes, Sandy Roethler, & Scott
Only one North American warbler has yellow Distribution tail panels and yellow under tail coverts; this While Barrows (1912) described the Yellow unique plumage combination and a distinctive Warbler as “universally distributed and just as “sweet, sweet, sweet, little bit sweet” song make abundant along the south shore of Lake Superior the Yellow Warbler well-known to birders. The as in the southern part of the state,” others species is also notable for its strategy in dealing subsequently reported it as considerably more with brood parasitism by the Brown-headed common in the LP (Wood 1951, Zimmerman Cowbird. This enterprising bird simply builds a and Van Tyne 1959, Payne 1983). Wood new layer of nest over the intruder’s eggs, (1951) noted that the species did not occur on sometimes as many as six layers (Bent 1953). Isle Royale, but both atlases have documented The Yellow Warbler breeds as far north into the the species on the island. Yellow Warblers tend Alaskan and Canadian tundra as permitted by to be found in shrub thickets, especially those the existence of shrubby vegetation, and as far with willows (Lowther et al. 1999). Data from south as central Mexico, although it is absent MBBA I showed that in Michigan the species from much of the far southeastern and preferred shrub wetlands but were also found southwestern U.S. In the southwest this may be with high frequency in shrub uplands and with a result of declines and range contractions moderate frequency in wet deciduous forests (Dunn and Garret 1997). In Michigan the (Brewer et al. 1991). Both atlases also show a Yellow Warbler is widely distributed as a fairly gap in the distribution of Yellow Warbler in the common migrant and resident in the UP and western UP, likely a function of the absence of very common migrant and resident throughout suitable habitats. the LP (Chartier and Ziarno 2004). Bent (1953) shows a late date of 8 October in Grand Rapids Breeding Biology and Chartier and Ziarno (2004) indicate at least In the best of habitats, Yellow Warbler one record of a Yellow Warbler in the SLP in territories are small and close together, and December. Indiana’s Breeding Bird Atlas includes reports of the species nesting in colonies (Brunet 1998).
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Yellow Warbler (Dendroica dominica) Deaver D. Armstrong
Yellow Warblers incubate their four to five eggs this time. Although no specific management from 8-11 days (Bent 1953, Lowther et al. plans seem warranted, the preservation of the 1999). They are usually completely finished species’ breeding habitat, especially sensitive with nesting by mid July, as they rarely attempt riparian areas, is obviously vital to the Yellow a second brood if the first is successful (Lowther Warbler’s continued statewide prominence. et al. 1999). Adult feeding of fledglings can continue for as long as several weeks after the young have left the nest. Although contemporary studies of Yellow Warbler nests in Michigan documented Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism ranging from 29% to 45%, only about one in four cowbird eggs actually fledged successfully (Lowther et al. 1999, Epp and Beaver 2000).
Abundance and Population Trends With an estimated state population of 310,000 individuals, the Yellow Warbler is the fourth most common breeding warbler in the state behind Ovenbird, Nashville Warbler and Common Yellowthroat; Michigan birds comprise approximately 0.8% of the world’s population (PIF 2007). BBS data collected during the 20-year interval spanning the two Atlases show a very slight, statistically non- significant increase in the statewide population (0.17% per year) of the species. BBS results recorded the highest densities in the state’s southwestern corner and Thumb area (Sauer et al. 2008). Although data for some neighboring states are similar, Illinois and Wisconsin populations of Yellow Warblers have significantly increased at annual rates of 4% and 1%, respectively (Sauer et al. 2008). However, the number of UP townships with Yellow Warbler in MBBA II declined from 50% to 42% of the townships surveyed, while results from the entire LP remain essentially the same. Perhaps there has been enough time between the two atlases for secondary forests in these areas to grow enough to no longer provide suitable habit for the species.
Conservation Needs Yellow Warbler populations in Michigan and surrounding states seem to be relatively stable at
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Literature Cited Payne, R.B. 1983. A Distributional Checklist of the Birds of Michigan. Miscellaneous Barrows, W.B. 1912. Michigan Bird Life. Publication 164. University of Michigan Special Bulletin. Michigan Agricultural Museum of Zoology, Ann Arbor, Michigan, College. Lansing, Michigan, USA. USA. Bent, A.C. 1953. Life Histories of North Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. American Wood Warblers. U. S. National 2008. The North American Breeding Bird Museum Bulletin 203. Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2007. Brewer, R., G.A. McPeek, and R.J. Adams, Jr. Version 5.15.2008. USGS Patuxent 1991. The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, Michigan. Michigan State University Press. USA. East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Wood, N.A. 1951. The Birds of Michigan. Brunet, A.W. 1998. Yellow Warbler. Miscellaneous Publication 75. University of Pages 250-251 in J.S. Castrale, E.M. Michigan Museum of Zoology. Ann Arbor, Hopkins, and C.E. Keller. Atlas of Breeding Michigan, USA. Birds of Indiana. Indiana Department of Zimmerman, D.A., and J. Van Tyne. 1959. A Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Distributional Checklist of the Birds of Wildlife, Nongame and Endangered Michigan. Occasional Paper 608. Wildlife Program. Indianapolis, Indiana, University of Michigan Museum of USA. Zoology. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Chartier, A.T., and J. Ziarno. 2004. A Birder’s
Guide to Michigan. American Birding Suggested Citation Association. Colorado Springs, Colorada,
USA. Armstrong, D.D. 2011. Yellow-throated Dunn, J.L., and K.L. Garrett. 1997. A Field Warbler (Dendroica dominica). in A.T. Guide to Warblers of North America. Chartier, J.J. Baldy, and J.M. Brenneman, Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, editors. The Second Michigan Breeding Bird New York, USA. Atlas. Kalamazoo Nature Center. Epp, S., and D. Beaver. 2000. Productivity Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. Accessed and survivorship of the Yellow Warbler in online at:
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