Warbler Guy, are there any New World warblers that occur in their own family and where shall I look?

The Olive Warbler, Peucedramus taeniatus , is a small passerine bird. It is the only member of the genus Peucedramus and the family Peucedramidae.

Breeding from southern Arizona through New Mexico and south into Mexico and Nicaragua, the Olive Warbler is the only member of the genus Peucedramus and the family Peucedramidae. All our other New World warblers are in the Parulidae family.

The Olive Warbler status in its one-member family is distinctive in that it's the only bird family endemic to North America (including Central America). Before it was classified into its current family, this warbler was considered a Parulidae, but DNA studies suggest that it split early in its evolutionary history from the other related passerines prior to the differentiation of the entire New World warbler/American sparrow/Icterid group.

Thus, bird taxonimists now place the Olive Warbler in a family of its own.

Like many other New World warblers, it is an insectivorous species of coniferous forests.

Though it is often said to be non-migratory, most New Mexican birds leave the state from November to late February. It lays 3–4 eggs in a tree nest.

FAB FIVE WARBLER QUIZ #3

Can you identify the wood-warblers in each of the following five photos?

Warbler Guy, can you tell me some of the most abundant wood-warblers that were seen in last year’s Christmas Bird Count?

Yes, Brent in Orange Co., CA, there’s a record of these results in the latest American Birds (110th CBC, Volume 64).

Consider the following highest totals and the corresponding location/name of the CBC:

- Olive Warbler, 9 (AZ, Green Valley-Madera Canyon)
- Tennessee Warbler, 2 (TX, Guadalupe River Delta-McFaddin Family Ranches)
- Oranged-crowned Warbler, 493 (TX, Weslaco)
- Nashville Warbler, 10 (TX, Weslaco)
- N. Parula, 18 (FL, Kendall Area)
- Yellow Warbler, 11 (CA, San Diego; FL, Coot Bay-Everglades N.P.)
- Chestnut-sided Warbler, 1 (AZ, Phoenix-Tres Rios)
- Magnolia Warbler, 3 (FL, Coot Bay-Everglades N.P.)
- Cape May Warbler, 1 (OH, Ragersville)
- Black-throated Blue Warbler, 2 (FL, Coot Bay-Everglades N.P.; Ft. Lauderdale; Kendall Area; and Key Largo-Plantation Key)
- Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s), 4,638 (CA, Orange Co.)
- Yellow-rumped (Myrtle), 7,599 (SC, Charleston)

Warbler Guy, did Kirtland’s Warbler nest in Wisconsin again this past breeding season?

Wisconsin Kirtland's Warbler Nesting Update


Yes, Avery (in Chicago), the federally endangered Kirtland’s Warbler observations totaled a minimum of 24 male and 13 female individuals in the state. Among 16 nest sites monitored, three to five were successful, appearing to fledge an estimated 12 to 18 newborns.

Monitoring of nests or sightings of Kirtland’s Warbler (above photo) occurred in several Wisconsin counties — Adams, Marinette, Bayfield, Douglas, and Washburn. In Adams County, 20 male and 11 female Kirtland’s were documented. In turn, estimates of fledglings from these totals in 2010 ranged from 12 to 18 among three to five nests.

In Marinette County, a volunteer monitor found a single Kirtland’s at the same site where he documented nesting in 2009. Another single Kirtland’s male was also reported at another site in the county where birds were found in 2008 and 2009, and three males were documented at a third site.

In Bayfield County, a single Kirtland’s male was discovered on Bayfield County Forest land in early June and a follow-up visit yielded a second male plus a female.

In Douglas County, a single Kirtland’s was seen on the same date as the aforementioned Kirtland’s observed in Bayfield County. However, a follow-up visit by researchers failed to detect any presence of Kirtland’s so nesting could not be confirmed for 2010 here.

In Washburn County, a male Kirtland’s was observed, but a nest could not be found.

Interestingly, all 10 banded male Kirtland’s present in Adams County in 2009 returned in 2010, including one individual that had been originally banded in the Bahamas.

This year’s breeding results confirm that Kirtland’s Warbler has nested for four consecutive breeding seasons in Wisconsin. This sequence in unprecedented in the monitoring of this species that previous to 2007 was thought to primarily to exclusively nest only in 10 or so north-central Michigan counties. Given the now-annual breeding of Kirtland’s in Wisconsin, it’s safe to suggest the species now regularly nests in both states.

Warbler Guy, do the white tail spots in the Hooded Warbler (and other warbler species) provide it any benefit?

Catrina (in Portland, OR), the answer is “yes,” if you agree with studies conducted by Dr. Ron Mumme. In the field, he tested his hypothesis that the Hooded Warbler’s (above photo courtesy of Dr. Mumme) contrasting white tail spots and tail-flicking behavior increase foraging performance by startling potential insect prey that the warblers then pursue and capture in flight.

Results of his experiment indicated that Hooded Warbler individuals with darkened tails had significantly lower prey attack rates and delivered significantly less food to nestlings than did birds with normal, unchanged tail feathers. He and other theorists continue to test their theory about the importance of contrasting tail pattern in helping birds capture prey, and, in doing so, note that all 12 species in the Myioborus redstarts (also known as whitestarts) display similar behavior while using their white outer tail feathers to also conduct foraging displays designed to startle and flush potential insect prey.

Warbler Guy, which warblers are superspecies?

That’s a fine question, Jeremy (in Boise, ID).

Given a superspecies consists of two or more species that evolved recently into isolated breeding ranges next to each other, it is not surprising that superspecies’ members are closely related.

Among songbirds, think of Eastern and Western Meadowlarks. Their breeding ranges are separated across North America and are nearly isolated except for a small overlap area. The same kind of breeding isolation geography pattern occurs in more than 100 North American species that are considered members of 53 total superspecies.

Of these 53, some wood-warbler species qualify. Note the distinct breeding ranges of the Black-throated Green superspecies consisting of this species along with Black-throated Gray, Hermit, Townsend’s, and Golden-cheeked Warbler.

Other warbler superspecies include 1) Nashville, Virginia’s, and Colima; 2) Northern and Tropical Parula; 3) Yellow-throated and Grace’s; and 4) Mourning and MacGillivray’s.

Given, I saw your 9/2/10 article here, what warbler identification resources exist?

Eddy in Chicago.......That's a good question.

Violating my own anti-shill policy, I'll suggest my own "Warbler Tips ID" chart (that is accessed at my web site's home page: www.warblerwatch.com)

This chart has a column that lists the look-alike species, in addition to mentioning 1) whether they are early to late spring arrivals/autumn departures during migration; 2) their conservation status; 3) other information.

The direct link to this warbler identification resource:

http://www.warblerwatch.com/warblertips.htm