By Sally Siko

I always look forward to seeing Yellow Warblers each spring.
With that bright yellow plumage, they are absolutely stunning looking birds.
What I don’t like is that every single time I’ve had the opportunity to photograph one, the damn bird is always up near the top of a willow tree lol!
It hasn’t been easy for me to try to get a picture of the species since it seems there’s usually a bunch of skinny yellow-ish leaves obscuring a clear view.

Photography challenges aside, I think it’s actually kind of neat that the birds plumage color and markings help it blend right into its habitat.
Those reddish-brown stripes on its belly are nearly the exact shade of color of the stems of the willow tree.
Cool camouflage!
While they are predominantly yellow, variations in plumage can occur, with some individuals displaying more intense yellow hues than others. Additionally, females and immature birds may have duller plumage compared to adult males.

Yellow Warblers primarily feed on insects, including beetles, caterpillars, and spiders, which they catch by gleaning from foliage or by hovering to snatch insects in mid-air.
I’ve had my best luck finding them in the mid morning hours once the sun has risen high enough to warm the leaves of the trees which spurs the insects into action thus increasing the hunting activity of these beautiful yellow birds.

The Yellow Warbler is most commonly found in the north western part of North Carolina during the spring and summer. That being said, they are a migratory visitor (and occasionally reported sporadic breeder) in our central and eastern regions.
Look for them in Willow tree thickets around ponds and reservoirs from now through mid May and again from August to September/early October.

Btw, I’ve got a ton of fun group birding trips in North Carolina, South Carolina, Maine and New Jersey open for booking from now through December.
Check out the calendar below and book your next birding adventure with me today!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5