Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica)

Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica

TAXONOMY:

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Dendroica
Species: pensylvanica

MORPHOLOGY:

Male: In summer has a lemon-yellow crown and black eye stripe and lore. The bill is black. Has a white breast and belly with chestnut on sides and flanks. On wings there are two pale yellow wing bars. In fall the back is lime-green with a gray face. There is a white eye-ring and distinct chestnut on sides.
Female: Similar to male but less chestnut on sides and flanks and less black on the face. In fall similar to male with less chestnut.
Immature: Like fall male but the immature female does not have any chestnut on the sides and the immature male will have a little chestnut. The tail feathers are also tapered.

FOOD: Eats insects and berries (Ehrlich et al., 1988).

MATING SYSTEM: monogamous (Ehrlich et al., 1988).

PREENING: scratches head over-wing style (Ehrlich et al., 1988).

BREEDING SYSTEM:

Where Breeds: Breeds in deciduous secondary growth forests, clearings, woodland edges, and cut-over areas (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Nest: The nest is found in a sapling, shrub, thicket, or vine tangle 1-3 ft. high (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is a compact cup made out of fine grasses, bark fibers, shredded weed stems, and plant down (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is lined with fine grasses and hair (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is built by the female in 5 days (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Breeding Season: The breeding season begins in late May and ends in mid-August (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). This species is possibly double-brooded (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Eggs: There are between 3-5 eggs laid in a clutch (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eggs are subelliptical to long subelliptical in shape and white to creamy-white or very pale greenish in background color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eggs are speckled from reddish-brown to purplish-brown, usually as a narrow ring at the larger end of the egg or fine speckling may be dispersed (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The average size of an egg is 17 X 12 mm (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Incubation: The incubation last from 12-13 days and is done by the female (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Nestling: The young, or nestlings, are born altricial and downy, with the down being dark gray in color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The mouth is red and the gape flanges are yellow in color of the young (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The young fledge from the nest 10-12 days after hatching and are tended by both parents while in the nest (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eyes open 3-4 days after hatching (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).

MIGRATION STATUS IN WISCONSIN:
The chestnut-sided warbler is a neotropical migrant.

REFERENCES:
Baicicich, P.J. and Harrison, C.J.O. 1997. A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, 2nd edition. Academic Press: San Diego.

Ehrlich, P.R., Dobkin, D.S., and Wheye, D. 1988. The Birder’s Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon and Schuster, Inc.: New York.

Stokes, D.W. and Stokes, L.Q. 1996. Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region. Little, Brown and Co.: Boston.

Last Updated: March 27, 2005

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