Northern Yellow Warbler
Setophaga aestiva
When a cowbird lays an egg in their nest, Yellow Warblers often build a new floor right over the intruder's egg to prevent it from hatching.
- Scientific name
- Setophaga aestiva
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Parulidae › Setophaga
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Riparian thickets, willow swamps, and scrubby forest edges near water.
- Diet
- Primarily insectivorous, consuming caterpillars, beetles, and spiders; occasionally eats berries.
- Range
- North America, Central America, Northern South America
- Size
- 12-13 cm length, 9-11 g weight
- Lifespan
- 5 to 10 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and shy. Maintain a respectful distance of at least 15 feet to avoid disrupting their foraging or nesting. If you find a grounded fledgling, leave it be; the parents are likely nearby.
The yellow warbler ( Setophaga petechia ) is a New World warbler species. Yellow warblers are the most widespread species in the diverse genus Setophaga , breeding in almost the whole of North America, the Caribbean, as well as northern South America.
Photo: Mirko Schoenitz, CC0, via iNaturalist
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