Species

Yellow-rumped warbler

Setophaga coronata

The most common warbler in Georgia's winter, surviving on wax myrtle berries.

At a glance

Key marks: Yellow rump; yellow side patches; white throat; streaked grey-brown in winter
Told apart from: Palm warbler, which wags its tail and has yellow under the tail
Where to look: Almost anywhere in winter

Yellow-rumped warblers can digest the waxy coating of bayberries and wax myrtle berries, which lets them winter farther north than other warblers.

Yellow-rumped warblers are the most abundant winter warbler in Georgia. Their ability to digest wax is unusual among birds.

Nest — A cup in a conifer
Eggs — Usually four or five
Incubation — About 12 to 13 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — Several years

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Recorded in 95 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

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