Tag Archives: yellow warbler nc

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

A Yellow Warbler at Lake Betz Raleigh NC

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

Field Notes

Yellow Warblers in North Carolina

By Sally Siko

One of the prettiest autumn migrants that I look forward to seeing each year are the Yellow Warblers.
It’s neat to be able to catch a good look at these vibrantly colored beauties hunting for insects in a stand of trees along the shoreline.



Although yellow warblers, maintain their aptly named overall color throughout the year, there is a shift in the intensity of their hue as the seasons change.
As seen in the first two photos above, the yellow feathers become somewhat muted, and the males will lose the red streaks on their bellies entirely.
Compare that to the photo below which shows a breeding male in April.
Can you see the difference?



Yellow Warblers are true omnivores and are able to adapt their diets to suit the bounty of a given season.
During the spring and summer, their diet is based on insects such as leafhoppers, beetles, wasps, midges and caterpillars. They are often seen hovering over tree branches as they glean to catch the flash of light reflecting off of an insect’s wings.
When the weather cools, berries and fruits may also be consumed during the autumn winter months to supplement their normal diet when insects are scarce.

Unfortunately these gorgeous birds won’t be in North Carolina much longer as they’ll soon migrate to locations in Central America and northern South America to spend the winter.
If you missed them this year, no worries they will be back again here in the Tarheel State sometime around mid April.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

A Yellow Warbler encounter at Jordan Lake SRA

Here’s a bit of feathered sunshine to brighten your day, a Yellow Warbler!


I was pleasantly surprised to find a pair of them yesterday afternoon while birding at Jordan Lake in central NC.
It was neat to be able to catch a good look at these beauties hunting for insects in a stand of trees along the shoreline.

Yellow Warblers are true omnivores and are able to adapt their diets to suit the bounty of a given season.
During the spring and summer, their diet is based on insects such as leafhoppers, beetles, wasps, midges and caterpillars. They are often seen hovering over tree branches as they glean to catch the flash of light reflecting off of an insect’s wings.
When the weather cools, berries and fruits may also be consumed during the autumn winter months to supplement their normal diet when insects are scarce.



Unfortunately these gorgeous birds won’t be in North Carolina much longer in 2021 as they’ll soon migrate to locations in Central America and northern South America to spend the winter.
If you missed them this year, no worries they will be back again here in the Tarheel State sometime around mid April 2022.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty @canonusa
#5ds