Chestnut-sided Warbler

Dendroica pensylvanicaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Wood Warblers (Parulidae)

Codes: Common Name: CSWA Scientific Name: DENPEN ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178911

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Overview

Chestnut-sided Warbler: Medium warbler with black-streaked upperparts, white underparts, and chestnut-brown flanks. The cap is bright yellow and moustache stripe is black. Often cocks its tail high above its back as it feeds. The only North American warbler with pure white underparts in all seasons.

Range and Habitat

Chestnut-sided Warbler: Breeds from south-central Canada east to Nova Scotia, south to east-central U.S., and in the Appalachian Mountains. Spends winters in the tropics. Preferred habitats include young, open, second-growth woodlands and scrub.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"please-please-pleased to meetcha"

Interesting Facts

The Chestnut-sided Warbler sings two song types: one is accented at the end, the other is not. The first is used before the arrival of the females and in the early nesting cycle. The second is used while raising young.

They are very rare vagrants to western Europe.

With the clearing of primeval forests and the subsequent growth of shrubby habitats, it is one of the most abundant breeding warblers in second growth deciduous woodlands.

A group of warblers has many collective nouns, including a "bouquet", "confusion", "fall", and "wrench" of warblers.

Bird Term Glossary

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Chestnut-sided Warbler

● Song: "please-please-pleased to meetcha"

● Foraging & Feeding: Chestnut-sided Warbler: Feeds mostly on insects and some fruits. Forages alone, searching undersides of leaves, hopping from branch to branch with tail cocked.

● Breeding & nesting: Chestnut-sided Warbler: Three to five brown and purple blotched, white to pale green eggs are laid in a grass-and-bark nest lined with hair and rootlets, and built a few feet above the ground in a small tree or bush. Incubation ranges from 11 to 13 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Chestnut-sided Warbler: Bay-breasted Warbler has brown crown and dark throat. Golden-winged Warbler resembles immature, but has a dark throat and cheek patch.

Flight Pattern

Weak fluttering flight with shallow wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Chestnut-sided Warbler: Breeds from south-central Canada east to Nova Scotia, south to east-central U.S., and in the Appalachian Mountains. Spends winters in the tropics. Preferred habitats include young, open, second-growth woodlands and scrub.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationFairly common to common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.4 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Cap

The area on top of the head of the bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America