WILSON'S WARBLER
WILSON’S WARBLER – (Cardellina pusilla) – (See images below)
DESCRIPTION: The Wilson’s Warbler breeding male is bright yellow under with a black cap (or crown). Top parts are olive green. It has a long tail. Eyes are black. Female looks similar except for the black cap, which is either faded or absent. Bill is dark on top, yellowish under. Legs are pinkish grey. Bird length around 10 cm (4 inches).
VOICE: https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Cardellina-pusilla
NAME: English name ‘Wilson’s’ refers to the American ornithologist Alexander Wilson, who first described this bird. Warblers are thus called thanks to their generally melodious songs. Latin genus name ‘Cardellina’ refers to the European Goldfinch, an unrelated species. Latin species name ‘pusilla’ means ‘very small’.
HABITAT: Forest near streams where thickets of willows and alders grow, or near lakes in open woodlands.
DIET: Insects caught on the fly by hovering, or picked on leaves. Also spiders, berries.
NESTING: Nests on or near the ground in a well camouflaged small depression. Four to six creamy eggs are laid, incubated by the female. Chicks fed by both parents. Nest is parasitized by the Brown-headed cowbird.
DISTRIBUTION: Breeds through most of Canada and Alaska up to the tree line. Maritimes situated at the southernmost end of summer range. Migrates mainly to Mexico and Central America for the winter.
Distribution map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson%27s_warbler#/media/File:Wilsonia_pusilla_map.svg
ON PEI: Does not breed on Prince Edward Island, occurrence rare.
CONSERVATION: Population has declined, still numbers around 60 million, not at risk.
NOTES: Often twitches its tail.
SIMILAR SPECIES: Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler
REFERENCES: https://www.borealbirds.org/bird/wilsons-warbler
https://www.mba-aom.ca/jsp/toc.jsp (Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas)
https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/157/_/Wilsons_Warbler.aspx
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/wilsons-warbler
http://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=ABPBX16020 (Montana Field Guide)
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wilsons_Warbler/id
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson%27s_warbler
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Wilsonia_pusilla/ (University of Michigan)
DESCRIPTION: The Wilson’s Warbler breeding male is bright yellow under with a black cap (or crown). Top parts are olive green. It has a long tail. Eyes are black. Female looks similar except for the black cap, which is either faded or absent. Bill is dark on top, yellowish under. Legs are pinkish grey. Bird length around 10 cm (4 inches).
VOICE: https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Cardellina-pusilla
NAME: English name ‘Wilson’s’ refers to the American ornithologist Alexander Wilson, who first described this bird. Warblers are thus called thanks to their generally melodious songs. Latin genus name ‘Cardellina’ refers to the European Goldfinch, an unrelated species. Latin species name ‘pusilla’ means ‘very small’.
HABITAT: Forest near streams where thickets of willows and alders grow, or near lakes in open woodlands.
DIET: Insects caught on the fly by hovering, or picked on leaves. Also spiders, berries.
NESTING: Nests on or near the ground in a well camouflaged small depression. Four to six creamy eggs are laid, incubated by the female. Chicks fed by both parents. Nest is parasitized by the Brown-headed cowbird.
DISTRIBUTION: Breeds through most of Canada and Alaska up to the tree line. Maritimes situated at the southernmost end of summer range. Migrates mainly to Mexico and Central America for the winter.
Distribution map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson%27s_warbler#/media/File:Wilsonia_pusilla_map.svg
ON PEI: Does not breed on Prince Edward Island, occurrence rare.
CONSERVATION: Population has declined, still numbers around 60 million, not at risk.
NOTES: Often twitches its tail.
SIMILAR SPECIES: Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler
REFERENCES: https://www.borealbirds.org/bird/wilsons-warbler
https://www.mba-aom.ca/jsp/toc.jsp (Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas)
https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/157/_/Wilsons_Warbler.aspx
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/wilsons-warbler
http://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=ABPBX16020 (Montana Field Guide)
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wilsons_Warbler/id
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson%27s_warbler
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Wilsonia_pusilla/ (University of Michigan)
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| Wilson's warbler, PEI, Roberta Palmer |
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| Wilson's warbler, PEI, Roberta Palmer |
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| Wilson's warbler, PEI, Matt Beardsley |
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| Wilson's warbler, PEI, Matt Beardsley |