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Yellow-Rumped Warblers

If you haven’t already noticed some small sparrow-sized birds flitting through the brush in your area, you should soon.  And if you take a closer look, you are likely to see these birds are quite colorful.  That is because the warblers are or will be passing through our area during their spring migration.  Some, for example the American redstart, will even stay and nest in our state. 

For those of you unfamiliar with warblers, they are colorful and active birds generally a little smaller than the sparrows, with small pointed bills.  Some of the more common warblers in our region include the yellow-rumped warbler, yellow warbler, American redstart, black and white warbler, and common yellowthroat. 

The yellow-rumped warbler is one of the more common warblers during spring in our area. It is also one of the most easily identified.  Just remember that in some areas they are called “butter butts.”  That is a reference to their yellow rump patch.  If you see a small bird flitting around with a “butter butt” it is a yellow-rumped warbler.  A couple other warblers have a yellow rump, but they have yellow breasts as well (e.g. Cape May and Magnolia). 

The yellow rump patch is the main identification characteristic of the males.  Also look for some yellow on their crown and side of the breast.  They also have a prominent black mask, with the rest of the body being grayish with some white wing bars.  Yellow-rumped warblers nest in the coniferous and mixed coniferous forests across much of the northern United States, Canada, Alaska, and also the Rocky Mountains.

Some of you probably learned this bird as myrtle warbler.  They were not named after some lady.  In this case myrtle is a reference to their reliance on bayberries, which are also called myrtles, or more specifically wax myrtle.  The fruits of wax myrtle are covered with a wax that is indigestible for most birds.  The yellow-rumped warbler is an exception, and as you might expect, is a major seed disperser for the plants.    

Sometimes it is hard to tell when the warblers and other birds move through a area.  However, some bird enthusiasts post their observations on the internet.  Both eBird and The North Dakota Birding Society websites may be helpful in this regard.

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