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Identification
The Townsend's Warbler (Dendroica townsendi) is, to say the least, one of the more striking winter birds seen in Big Sur. The yellow of its flanks, breast, and much of its head is the brightness of an egg yolk, and contrasts nicely with the mossy olive-green of its back. Like many Dendroica warblers, Townsend's Warblers show a flash of white in the rectrices (tail feathers).

Townsend's Warblers form what is called a superspecies with three other closely-related warblers: the Hermit Warbler (D. occidentalis) which cohabits the Pacific Coast of North America with the Townsend's Warbler; the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler (D. chrysoparia) of Texas; and the Black-throated Green Warbler (D. virens) of eastern North America.

Townsend's Warblers might be confused with Hermit Warblers, with which they have been known to hybridize, but the Townsend's black auriculars (cheek patches) and yellow breast should help to distinguish it from the Hermit, as well as the Black-throated Green and the Golden-cheeked. Black-throated Greens and Golden-cheeks don't occur in this part of North America except for a number of vagrant Black-throated Greens. Blackburnian Warblers (Dendroica fusca) in their first basic (fall) plumage, especially females, might be confused with Townsend's Warblers because of their dark auriculars and orange to egg-yolk-yellow faces and underparts. Blackburnians have browner backs with dark streaks on top and paler streaks to the sides of the back, while the Townsend's greener back is at most only faintly streaked black. The Blackburnian is also mostly an eastern bird with only casual records from California.

Range
The Townsend's Warbler does not actually breed in California; for that it flies north to south-coastal Alaska and east to the southwestern Yukon, and down throughout British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, westernmost Montana, northern Idaho, northeast Oregon, and Washington.

Townsend's Warblers winter along the coast from southern Washington to Baja California, and in a larger population in central California. It is one of the few warbler species to be found in Big Sur in the winter other than the Yellow-rumped Warbler (D. coronata).

It occurs in Big Sur from October to March.

Banding History
The Big Sur Ornithology Lab has banded 319 of 392 Townsend's Warblers captured in its mist-nets over 9 years. The first birds appear in the nets around late August or more usually September.

Habits
Townsend's Warbler The Townsend's Warbler winters in coastal California in forests of madrone, laurel, live oak, and conifers, and in riparian woodlands of sycamore, alder, or willow. They will also reside in eucalypts and other foreign tree species, especially those mixed in with the aforementioned coastal and riparian forests. Small numbers of wintering birds may be found in wooded valleys inland to the foothills of the Cascades, the Sierra Nevada, and mountains of southern California.

Townsend's Warblers forage at all levels of the forest in the winter, including the ground, and in a variety of trees, and like many wintering birds, they often join multispecies flocks with chickadees, kinglets, and other warblers. Their call note at this time of year is a tip or tsik.

Status
At present the Townsend's Warbler isn't considered threatened or endangered; in fact, its breeding range has been gradually growing southward. Because this species breeds at the tops of mature conifers it might be vulnerable to forest fragmentation. Parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds is difficult to monitor in this species because of the height of its nests. Both habitat loss and cowbird parasitism are believed to be crucial factors in the decline of two other warbler species, both endangered: the Golden-cheeked Warbler in Texas and the Kirtland's Warbler (D. kirtlandi) of Michigan.

- Lionel Leston

References

Big Sur Ornithology Lab Database 1992-2000.

Dunn, J and K Garrett 1997. A Field Guide to Warblers of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.

VWS Featured Birds:
Townsend's Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Wilson's Warbler