Wilson’s Warbler near Summer’s End

BirdNote^®

Wilson’s Warbler Near Summer’s End

Written by Bob Sundstrom

This is BirdNote!

[Wilson’s Warbler song, repeated]

It’s the tail end of summer, and the Wilson’s Warbler’s had a busy few months.

[Wilson’s Warbler song]

In May, courtship and nesting reached full swing. The tiny yellow birds made their homes amidst dense thickets in the humid and boreal coastal forests of northern North America.

By early August, those forests were alive with flashes of yellow. Despite the attentions of predators and the vagaries of weather, many adult pairs have raised their four young, which flit and flicker amidst the undergrowth.

Young male warblers, fledged in June or July, have been learning their fathers’ songs all summer. [Wilson’s Warbler song] Next spring, they will sing these songs, too. [Wilson’s Warbler song] 

By early September, perhaps after one last afternoon dip in a local puddle, Wilson’s Warblers will begin their migratory trek south. Flying after dark to avoid predators, feeding in cover during the day, these tiny birds are bound for Belize - where many will find a winter home in a coffee plantation. [Wilson’s Warbler song] 

So if you’re a coffee-drinker and you choose to buy shade-grown coffee, you’re helping to preserve the wintering grounds of this bird and many others. Thank you. Learn more at our website, BirdNote.org. I’m Michael Stein.

[Wilson’s Warbler song] 

Support for BirdNote comes from American Bird Conservancy and Bringing Back the Birds, a photo book by Owen Deutsch on the importance of protecting birdscapes. Available at amazon.com.

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Wilson’s Warbler song provided by The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recorded by T.G. Sander.

BirdNote's theme music was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.

Producer: John Kessler

Executive Producer: Dominic Black

© 2014 Tune In to Nature.org       August 2018   Narrator: Michael Stein

ID# 080607WIWA5-5KPLU     WIWA-05c