Golden-cheeked Warbler

The Golden-cheeked Warbler is a stunningly beautiful bird that nests in Texas. They are small migrants that can be found singing sweet-sounding songs around the end of March. Golden-cheeked Warblers are some of the few birds that are considered to be endemic to most of Texas and have sparked considerable concern among environmentalists and scientists alike over their reducing numbers. They are shy and elusive birds that are still not fully understood but have been culturally popular due to their beautiful plumes.

About Golden-cheeked Warblers

While large gaps continue to exist in our understanding of them, getting a holistic view of these birds has never been more important. Today, we want to talk about these elegant birds in detail. By compiling all the relevant information about them, we hope to spread awareness about the beautiful lifestyles of these birds.

● Golden-cheeked Warbler Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● Golden-cheeked Warbler Size, Eating Behavior, Habitat
● Golden-cheeked Warbler Range and Migration, Nesting

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Golden-cheeked Warbler Color Pattern

Golden-cheeked Warblers are not only sexually dimorphic in their colors but also exhibit different plumages depending on whether it is the breeding season or not. Breeding adults have a black forehead, crown, nape, and back. While the remainder of their head is a bright golden yellow with black extending from the bill to the eye. This black ultimately joins with their black name. The chin, throat, and breast are black, and continue on as black streaks along the sides and flanks, while their underparts are white. The wings are blackish and showcase two distinct white bars. Their tail is blackish, with long white tail spots and patches throughout.

Nonbreeding males resemble their breeding plumes, but their throat feathers have narrow margins with pale yellow and white. While their upper parts have olive green tips. Breeding females also resemble breeding males, but they are slightly duller overall, and their upper parts are olive green with extensive black streaks. The tips of their coverts are white with black streaks. Nonbreeding females look similar but have throat-feathers more extensively veiled with pale yellow and white.

Immature males look similar to adult males but have the feathers of their throat and upper parts more heavily mixed with yellow, white, and olive. Similarly, immature females resemble adult females but have a whitish chin and less black on the throat. Their sides and flanks have faint streaking, while their upper parts are olive with faint black streaking.

Description and Identification

These birds have unique patterns during the breeding seasons, with their uniquely yellow faces and black eye-lines. For males, the shape of the yellow on their faces resembles a concave thumbprint or the shape of lemon. Females also don the same yellow faces but have an olive-green crown that contrasts with their grayish, and white bodies. Males sing from the top of juniper trees throughout Texas by the time spring begins. However, they might be hard to find in urban settings due to their preference for the juniper-oak woodlands found in central Texas.

Golden-cheeked Warbler Song

These delicate birds are sexually dimorphic in their songs as well. While females don’t sing. The songs of males resemble those of Black-throated Green Warbler in a buzzy quality. Their songs have been divided into two categories. The first category of the song is a simple, stereotypical, ascending, fast song that sounds like “ter-wih-zeee-e-e-e-e-chy”. This song aids the species in recognition during female courtship and egg-laying. Males that don’t have a mate sing this throughout the breeding season until falling silent in May.

The second category of the songs is far more variable, lower in frequency, and more complex than the first. They sing “tweah, tweak, twee-sy and twee-ah, eseah, eachy”, and “bzzzz layzeee dayzeee” at a higher pitch. These songs are for mating purposes. Males, utter chip calls while singing and during aggressive encounters, but females may chip while foraging and when approaching the chicks to feed them. Females may also give rapid, loud chips when alarmed. Juveniles also give similarly high-pitched squeaks. These birds don’t sing flight songs.

Golden-cheeked Warbler Size

Golden-cheeked Warblers are small songbirds that are around 4.7–5.1 inches with a wingspan of 7.5–8.3 inches. They have long tails, short beaks, and a stout appearance. Their approximate weight is 0.3–0.5 ounces. These birds are generally the same size as Sparrows but can be even smaller.

Golden-cheeked Warbler Behavior

These birds hop between branches and occasionally on the ground as they forage for food. They also fly by using several rapid wing beats that are separated by pauses, or by using continuous wing beats depending on the distance traveled and, on the speed, and direction of the wind. They also occasionally hang upside down while foraging, similar to a Finch.

Both sexes frequently preen while they forage. Males also preen while singing, and females preen while incubating. They preen mostly with their bill directly and may scratch their head with their legs over the wing frequently as well. These birds also keep their heads under their underwing as they sleep.

Males are fiercely territorial and aggressive during the breeding seasons. They announce and defend their territories by singing from conspicuous perches and by attacking and pursuing intruders. Defense begins shortly after arrival on breeding grounds and continues through the breeding season until the young are fully independent. Females generally do not defend the territory but will defend the nest with the same aggression, especially late in incubation and soon after hatching. Older males tend to arrive at their breeding grounds earlier than younger males and tend to reuse similar sites as well. While males select their territory, the females select their nest site.

Although these birds are generally monogamous, there have been reports of males approaching neighboring mated males and harassing the pairs in order to fight the males and feed the nestlings instead. On another occasion, a single male was with two different females. He fed and took care of the fledglings from both nests. On a third occasion, one female had at least 3 different male mates.

Golden-cheeked Warbler Diet

Golden-cheeked Warblers feed almost entirely on insects. Their prey can include caterpillars, green lacewings, small cicadas, beetles, katydids, walking sticks, deer flies, crane flies, moths, aphids, true bugs, and other insects. They also frequently consume spiders and may even take advantage of the insects trapped in the spiderwebs. During the breeding seasons, soft-bodied caterpillars are an important source of food for them. They typically forage in the upper two-thirds of their habitats but may sometimes forage on the ground as well.

Golden-cheeked Warbler Habitat

Golden-cheek Warblers require stands of mature Ashe juniper in order to build their nests. They generally stay in dense juniper-oak woodlands during the breeding season. Typically inhabiting species like Ash juniper, Texas Oak, Scaley Bark Oak, and Plateau Live Oak. Other species include deciduous trees like walnut, pecan, and hackberry. They also breed in oak-cedar associations. Migration seasons take them towards a variety of open woodlands, scrubs, and thicket habitats as well. Their wintering grounds are typically in and around montane pine-oak woodlands.

Range and Migration

These quaint birds are medium-distant migrants that arrive in their breeding and wintering grounds rather early. They breed solely in Texas and generally arrive by March, before departing in August. Migration seasons take them through a stretch of eastern Mexico before they arrive at the high elevation regions of Central America for the winters.

Golden-cheeked Warbler Lifecycle

Courtship commences with males fluffing their feathers and calling for the attention of a female. If a prospective female appears, they display by facing them and spreading their wings. Interested females reciprocate by mating with them. Nest sites are selected by the females, following which the construction is undertaken. They may have one or two broods in a season, with each brood having a clutch size of 3–5 eggs. Incubation is done only by the females for a period of 10-12 days, after which chicks hatch out of the eggs in an entirely helpless state. They leave the nest in another 9–12 days, but parents continue to take care of the brood for 4–7 weeks in total.

Nesting

Nest sites are selected by the female, with the nests themselves being entirely constructed by the females as well. The site is usually selected in a fork of juniper branches, but may sometimes be in small oak, walnut, or a pecan tree. The nest is an open cup woven of strips of juniper park and insect silk, with the interiors lined with fine grass, rootlets, hair, and down for sufficient insulation. Materials also include spiderwebs, lichens, mosses, leaves, and thicker grass. There is a deep and compact depression in the center that serves as the place for the nests.

Anatomy of a Golden-cheeked Warbler

Golden-cheeked Warblers are small songbirds that have a stout, Sparrow-like appearance. Their tails are long, beaks are short, and their wings are relatively medium-sized for their body length. They are sexually dimorphic in their plumages, but also exhibit different sets of plumages depending on whether it is a breeding season or not. They derive their names from the patch of yellowish golden that is visible on their faces, making them stand out in their environments.

Final Thoughts

These lovely birds are considered to be endangered and are at a high risk of becoming threatened without active conservation action. Partners in Flight puts them on the Red Watch List due to various factors shrinking their populations at drastic rates. Various factors leading to their decline include habitat loss due to deforestation, human disturbances, restrictions of breeding habitats to accommodate other species, and the increase in the populations of Cowbirds. Their nests often fall victim to Cowbirds, leaving a significant mark on their numbers.

Despite all the threats that these birds face, there seems to be little awareness about them. This awareness is crucial in preserving their numbers and must be spread if we hope to save these golden-faced birds in order for future generations to admire their beauty.

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At the Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for IdentifyingGolden-cheeked Warblers

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing Golden-cheeked Warblers are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Golden-cheeked Warbler Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Golden-cheeked Warbler. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders ForGolden-cheeked Warblers

There are many types of bird feeders. Bird feeders are a great addition to your backyard. Bird feeders will increase the chances of attracting birds drastically. Both kids and adults will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. There are a wide variety of bird feeders on the market and it is important to find the best fit for you and your backyard.

Bird HousesForGolden-cheeked Warblers

There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. If you spend a little extra money on bird houses, it will be well worth every penny and they’ll look great.

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