The vitelline warbler is a songbird species in the New World warbler family (Parulidae). It is found in the Cayman Islands and on the Swan Islands in Honduras.
Region
Western Caribbean
Typical Environment
The vitelline warbler is confined to the Cayman Islands (Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac) and the Swan Islands off northern Honduras. It favors dry coastal scrub, thorny thickets, secondary growth, and mangrove edges, and readily uses gardens with native shrubs. Birds often forage from near ground level to mid-canopy, moving through dense foliage. It generally avoids extensive closed-canopy forest but uses edges and gaps. On small cays and islets it occupies nearly all shrubby microhabitats.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 100 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This bright Caribbean warbler is closely related to the Prairie Warbler and occurs only on the Cayman Islands and the remote Swan Islands of Honduras. Several island subspecies show subtle differences in color and song. It thrives in scrub and mangroves and often forages low in dense foliage. Habitat loss and severe hurricanes are the main long-term concerns for this localized species.
Temperament
active and inquisitive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with frequent flitting
Social Behavior
Pairs defend small territories during the breeding season, building a cup nest low in shrubs or mangroves where 2–4 eggs are laid. Both parents participate in feeding nestlings. Outside of breeding, they may forage in loose pairs or join small mixed-species flocks. They spend much time gleaning methodically through dense foliage.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
The song is a high, sweet, buzzy series of thin notes, reminiscent of Prairie Warbler but often softer and more even. Calls are sharp chips and thin tsit notes used while foraging and maintaining contact. Males sing persistently from low perches within scrub.
Plumage
Bright yellow face and underparts with olive-green upperparts; flanks may show faint dusky streaking. Wings are olive with subtle pale wingbars and the tail is dark with pale edges. Males are usually brighter with a warmer, sometimes rusty wash around the ear coverts; females and immatures are duller and greener.
Diet
Primarily takes small insects, caterpillars, spiders, and other arthropods gleaned from leaves and twigs. It probes clusters of new growth and flower heads and occasionally hawks short distances for flushed prey. Small berries or nectar may be taken opportunistically, especially in the dry season when insects are less abundant.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense coastal scrub, mangrove edges, and second-growth thickets, usually from near ground level to mid-story. Frequently forages in gardens and along hedgerows where native shrubs are present.
