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Cool Facts |
Photo
taken from:
The
Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America by
David Allen Sibley
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- The Townsend's Warbler hybridizes with the Hermit Warbler where
their ranges overlap in Oregon and Washington. The hybrid zones are
rather narrow and appear to be slowly moving, with the more aggressive
Townsend's Warbler displacing the Hermit Warbler.
- On the wintering ground in Mexico, the Townsend's Warbler feeds
extensively on the sugary excretions of scale insects. Although the
warbler usually forages in the tops of trees, it will use patches of the
honeydew-producing insects at whatever height it finds them. It will
defend territories around trees infested with the insects against other
Townsend's Warblers as well as other bird species.
- The male Townsend's Warbler begins to sing before it leaves its
wintering grounds.
- Sometimes a female Townsend's Warbler will partially construct a
nest in one tree, then move all the materials to another tree and finish
the nest there.
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Description |
Adult Description
- Small songbird.
- Chest and face yellow.
- Stripes down sides of chest.
- Two white wingbars.
- Dark face patch.
- Dark crown.
- Black in throat.
Male Description
Crown and throat black. Face yellow. Black cheek patch with yellow
crescent under eye. Black streaks extend from throat down sides. Chest
and sides yellow. Belly and undertail white. Back olive green with black
streaks or spots. Two white wingbars. |
Female Description
Crown olive-green with thin black streaks. Cheek patch olive. Cheek,
throat, chest, and sides yellow. Some black markings in throat. Back
olive with thin black streaks. Belly and undertail white. Two white
wingbars.Immature Description
Immature similar to adult female. Immature female with indistinct
streaking on back and without black in throat. |
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Range Map |
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Taxonomic Hierarchy |
© 2003 Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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Kingdom: |
Animalia |
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Phylum: |
Chordata |
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Subphylum: |
Vertebrata |
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Class: |
Aves |
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Order: |
Passeriformes |
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Family: |
Parulidae |
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Genus: |
Dendroica |
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Species: |
Dendroica townsendi |
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Sound |
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Song a series of buzzy notes on one pitch, followed by
several on different pitch, usually rising:
"Zee-zee-zee-zee-dee-du-dee."
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Identification and
Information
See
Anatomy
of a Bird
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Body |
- Length
Range: 12-13 cm (4.75-5 in)
- Weight:
9 g (0.3 oz)
- Size:
Very Small (3 - 5 in)
- Color
Primary: Black, Yellow, Olive
- Underparts:
Yellow with black streaking on flanks and
white belly.
- Upperparts:
Olive-green with black streaks.
- Back
Pattern: Spotted or speckled, Striped or
streaked
- Belly
Pattern: Solid
- Breast
Pattern: Solid
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Head |
- Bill Shape:
All-purpose
- Eye Color:
Black.
- Head
Pattern: Eyeline, Streaked, Eyering,
Unique pattern
- Crown Color:
Black
- Forehead
Color: Black
- Nape Color:
Black
- Throat
Color: Black
- Cere color:
No Data
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Flight |
- Flight
Pattern: Weak flight on rapidly beating
wings.
- Wingspan
Range: 19-20 cm (7.5-8 in)
- Wing Shape:
Rounded-Wings
- Tail Shape:
Fan-shaped Tail
- Tail
Pattern: Solid
- Upper Tail:
Black with white outer feathers.
- Under Tail:
Black with white outer feathers.
- Leg Color:
Black
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Breeding |
- Breeding Location:
Forests, coniferous
- Breeding Type:
Monogamous, Solitary nester
- Breeding Population:
Fairly common in coniferous range
- Egg Color:
White with small brown dots
- Number of Eggs:
3 - 5
- Incubation Days:
12
- Egg Incubator:
Female
- Nest Material:
Bark pieces, plant fibers, lichens, grasses,
and cocoon materials.
- Migration: Migratory
- Condition at Hatching: Helpless
with tufts of down.
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Other Names |
Similar Species |
- Paruline de Townsend (French)
- Chipe negroamarillo (Spanish)
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- Adult male distinctive. Female and immatures resemble other closely
related species.
- Black-throated Green Warbler has a more green and unmarked back,
less well-defined cheek patch, and some yellow at the vent under the
tail.
- Golden-cheeked Warbler has yellow face with distinct dark line
through eye, not a large patch, and less yellow on chest.
- Hermit Warbler has yellow eyering and an indistinct face patch,
yellow forehead, and lacks yellow on chest and stripes down sides.
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Conservation Status |
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Populations stable or increasing slightly.
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Habitat |
Sources used to
Construct this Page: |
- Breeds in tall coniferous and mixed coniferous-deciduous
forests.
- Winters in variety of habitats, including chaparral, mature
forest, suburban gardens, and parks.
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- Wright, A. L., G. D. Hayward, S. M Matsuoka, and P.
H. Hayward. 1998. Townsend's Warbler (Dendroica
townsendi). In The Birds of North America,
No. 333 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North
America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
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Food |
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Insects and honeydew excreted by scale insects. |
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Behavior |
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Gleans insects from leaf surfaces and needles in upper third of tree
canopy. Hawks insects and hover-gleans. |
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