Myrtle Warbler
Encyclopedia
The Myrtle Warbler is a small New World warbler
.
This passerine
bird
was long known to be closely related to its western counterpart, Audubon's Warbler
, and at various times the two forms have been classed as separate species or grouped as Yellow-rumped Warbler
s, Dendroica coronata. The two forms most likely diverged when the eastern and western populations were separated in the last ice age
. In North America
, the two forms are now again officially recognized as conspecific.
The Myrtle Warbler has a northerly and easterly distribution, with Audubon's further west. It breeds in much of Canada
and the northeastern USA
. It is migratory
, wintering in the southeastern United States
, eastern Central America
, and the Caribbean
. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe
, and has wintered in Great Britain
.
The summer male Myrtle Warbler has a slate blue back, and yellow crown, rump and flank patch. It has white tail patches, and the breast is streaked black. The female has a similar pattern, but the back is brown as are the breast streaks.
The Myrtle can be distinguished from Audubon's Warbler by its whitish eyestripe, white (not yellow) throat, and contrasting cheek patch. Their trill-like songs, nearly indistinguishable, consist of a 3–4 syllable "tyew-tyew-tyew-tyew", sometimes followed by 3 more "tew"'s. The call is a hard check.
Its breeding habitat is a variety of coniferous and mixed woodland. Myrtle Warblers nest in a tree, laying 4–5 eggs in a cup nest.
These birds are insectivorous, but will readily take wax-myrtle
berries in winter, a habit which gives the species its name. Experienced birders recognize Myrtle Warblers with the naked eye by their flycatcher
-like habit of making short flights from their perch in search of bugs. They form small flocks on migration or in winter.
New World warbler
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
.
This passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
was long known to be closely related to its western counterpart, Audubon's Warbler
Audubon's Warbler
The Audubon's Warbler, Dendroica coronata auduboni, is a small New World warbler.This passerine bird was long known to be closely related to its eastern counterpart, the Myrtle Warbler, and at various times the two forms have been classed as separate species or grouped as the Yellow-rumped Warbler,...
, and at various times the two forms have been classed as separate species or grouped as Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Four closely related North American bird forms—the eastern Myrtle Warbler , its western counterpart, Audubon's Warbler , the northwest Mexican Black-fronted Warbler , and the Guatemalan Goldman's Warbler —are periodically lumped as the Yellow-rumped Warbler .-Classification:Since...
s, Dendroica coronata. The two forms most likely diverged when the eastern and western populations were separated in the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. In North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, the two forms are now again officially recognized as conspecific.
The Myrtle Warbler has a northerly and easterly distribution, with Audubon's further west. It breeds in much of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the northeastern USA
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
. It is migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, wintering in the southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, eastern Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and has wintered in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
The summer male Myrtle Warbler has a slate blue back, and yellow crown, rump and flank patch. It has white tail patches, and the breast is streaked black. The female has a similar pattern, but the back is brown as are the breast streaks.
The Myrtle can be distinguished from Audubon's Warbler by its whitish eyestripe, white (not yellow) throat, and contrasting cheek patch. Their trill-like songs, nearly indistinguishable, consist of a 3–4 syllable "tyew-tyew-tyew-tyew", sometimes followed by 3 more "tew"'s. The call is a hard check.
Its breeding habitat is a variety of coniferous and mixed woodland. Myrtle Warblers nest in a tree, laying 4–5 eggs in a cup nest.
These birds are insectivorous, but will readily take wax-myrtle
Myrica
Myrica is a genus of about 35–50 species of small trees and shrubs in the family Myricaceae, order Fagales. The genus has a wide distribution, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America, and missing only from Australasia...
berries in winter, a habit which gives the species its name. Experienced birders recognize Myrtle Warblers with the naked eye by their flycatcher
Tyrant flycatcher
The tyrant flycatchers are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds on Earth, with more than 400 species. They are the most diverse avian family in every country in the Americas, except for the United States and...
-like habit of making short flights from their perch in search of bugs. They form small flocks on migration or in winter.