The myrtle warbler is a small New World warbler. It is considered a subspecies of the yellow-rumped warbler and its own species by different classification societies. The myrtle warbler has a northerly and easterly distribution, with the Audubon's warbler farther west. It breeds in much of Canada and the northeastern United States. It is migratory, wintering in the southeastern United States, eastern Central America, and the Caribbean. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe, and has wintered in Great Britain.
Region
North America and Caribbean
Typical Environment
Breeds widely across the boreal and mixed coniferous forests of Canada and the northeastern United States, especially in spruce, fir, and pine habitats. During migration it passes through much of eastern and central North America, using woodlands, edges, and parks. In winter it occupies the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and parts of eastern Central America, frequently in coastal scrub with wax myrtle and bayberry. It readily uses urban greenspaces and second-growth habitats. Rare vagrants reach western Europe, including Great Britain.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named for its winter association with wax myrtle shrubs, the myrtle warbler can digest waxy berries that many other songbirds cannot, allowing it to winter farther north than most warblers. It hybridizes with Audubon's warbler where their ranges meet in western Canada. The bright yellow rump patch is a distinctive field mark and flashes in flight.
Temperament
active and restless
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Forms loose pairs on breeding territories; the female builds a cup nest in conifers and incubates while the male often provides food. In migration and winter it frequently joins mixed-species flocks and can be quite tolerant of other small songbirds. Generally monogamous within a season, with males singing to defend territories.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A soft, variable, musical trill or series of thin, sweet notes that accelerates slightly toward the end. Call notes are sharp check or tsip sounds, often given in flight and while foraging.
Plumage
Crisply streaked gray-brown upperparts with white wing bars and a bright yellow rump; breeding males show more contrasting black, white, and gray with yellow flank patches and often a small yellow crown spot. Females and nonbreeding birds are browner and duller but retain the yellow rump. The throat is distinctly white, contrasting with a darker face.
Diet
Insects and other arthropods dominate the diet in spring and summer, including caterpillars, beetles, flies, and spiders. In fall and winter it switches heavily to berries, especially wax myrtle and bayberry, and also eats juniper, poison ivy, and other small fruits. It occasionally takes seeds and will visit suet or fruit at feeders during cold spells.
Preferred Environment
Forages from the mid-canopy to treetops, gleaning from needles and foliage and sallying out to catch flying insects. In winter it is common in coastal scrub, hedgerows, and urban parks where berry-bearing shrubs are abundant. It adapts well to edges and second-growth habitats.
