The Yellow-rumped Warbler is one of the most widespread and common warblers found in America. It is also one of the only warblers commonly found in northern parts of the country in winter. There are two sub-species of the Yellow-rumped Warbler, the Myrtle Warbler of the east and the Audubon's Warbler of the West.

Description: The Myrtle Warbler measures about 5 1/2 inches in length. The male is a colorful bird, with a bright yellow cap, black mask, white throat, and black breast. There is a small white stripe above the mask and the eyes are lined with white crescents. The head, back and wings are gray and the underparts are white. The wings have prominent white wing bars, and the back has fine black streaks. The male has conspicuous yellow patches on its sides and a bright yellow rump. The tail is gray with white outer feathers. The female is pale brownish or grayish with duller yellow markings on the sides and breast. In winter, the Yellow-rumped Warbler has the same overall pattern but is much duller and lacks the black mask and breast.

The Audubon's Warbler is similar to the Myrtle but has a yellow throat, dull black mask with no white stripe above the eye, and has more white in the wings. It is generally duller than the Myrtle. The female Audubon's Warbler is similar to the male but much duller and has whitish, streaked underparts. In winter, the Audubon's Warbler is mostly gray with a yellow throat and rump and yellow patches on the sides.

Diet: Insects, berries, seeds. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is the only warbler able to digest the juices of bayberries and wax myrtles. This adaptation enables it to winter much farther north than other warblers.

Range: The Yellow-rumped Warbler breeds throughout Canada, the Rocky Mountain west, northern Great Lakes States and New England. Some Myrtle Warblers may breed south to the Pennsylvania and West Virginia Appalachians. The Myrtle breeds from Alaska through Canada into the northern United States from Minnesota to Maine and southward to Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The Audubon's Warbler breeds from British Columbia and Alberta south to California, and throughout the Rocky Mountains east to west Texas. In winter, the Myrtle Warbler occupies the west coast, Mexico, Caribbean islands, Central America and the eastern United States, while the Audubon's also occupies much of the west coast as well as the desert southwest.

Habitat: Both sub-species breed in dense coniferous or mixed forests. In the winter, both birds are found in open woodlands, marshes, and residential areas.

Status: The Yellow-Rumped Warbler is very common.