Warblers are small, colorful birds with thin beaks. More than 50 species summer in or migrate through our country but, since they feed primarily on insects, almost all winter in Central or South America. Only one, the yellow-rumped warbler, winters in the American Midwest.
As you might expect, this warbler is best identified by his yellow rump; he also exhibits a variable degree of yellow markings on his crown and sides. While most warblers are very active feeders, flitting among the thinner branches of trees and thickets, yellow-rumps are a bit less frenzied. On the larger size for warblers, they feed in the manner of chickadees and titmice and, like these songbirds, search for insect eggs and pupae during the winter months.
Yellow-rumped warblers breed in the coniferous forests of Canada and the western mountains of the United States. While they favor stands of pine or spruce in winter, they are often found in mixed woodlands and are fairly common in residential areas. Why these small insectivores, free to vacation in Mexico, choose to winter in the cold, gray Midwest is both mysterious and inspiring.
