Chestnut-sided Warbler

Size:                       

Length:  5 in      Weight: .3-.4oz         Wingspan:  7.75-8 in

ID:       

Male: Spring: Yellow crown; white cheeks, throat and belly; light olive to yellow with black streaking on upperparts; black lores, malar mark and eye stripe (mask-like); two yellow wing bars; rich chestnut flanks; dark bill; slate-blue legs and feet anisodactylous (three toes point forward and one toe points backward)

Fall: Yellowish green crown, nape and back (some light streaking on back); gray face and sides; may retain some chestnut; white eye-ring
Female: When breeding similar to male but duller colors with some streaking on yellow cap; less chestnut on flanks; mask may be blackish gray
Juvenile: Lime green head and back; white eye ring, yellow wing bars; grayish white undersides; some have slight chestnut coloring on flanks

Habitat:

Shrubby, deciduous second growth woods, overgrown fields, forest edges and thick undergrowth; easily adapted to deforestation and became more populated as old forests were cut down; as new full growth secondary forests and cleaner farming practices became more common, population of this warbler has decreased again because of the decrease in a scrubby, low growth vegetation habitat

Diet:

Insects, especially larvae, caterpillars, seeds and berries; takes food from leaves and shrubs and forages on the ground

Family Behavior:

Mating Habits:  Monogamous and solitary; 1-2 broods per year
Nests: Cup shaped; built by female; made of bark and plant material with lining of fur and grasses, in crotch of small tree or thicket
Eggs:  3-5 white to greenish white with brown markings; female incubates 11-13 days
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless, naked, eyes closed) and stay in nest 10-12 days; fed by both parents

Social Activities:

Solitary or in pair, tame; forages by drooping wings and raising tail above its back; flocks with other dendroicas in winter

Range:

Breeds in southern Canada,  Great Lakes to Northeast US and into the Appalachians

Winters in Central America

Vocalization:           

Pleasant, high-pitched please, please, pleased to meetcha; call sweet, musical chip