Yellow-rumped Warbler, aka "Butter-butt"
-- Like many of the winter birds, these warblers are pretty plain in the winter except for the pale yellow rump spot. As with the Goldfinches, the males start changing to breeding plumage when they are ready to head north so we miss their brighter colors. A winter bird photographed in Fort Bend is above. Below is a summer bird from Utah which is slightly different from the east coast summer Yellow-rumps. This photo shows how male plumage intensifies in color during mating season.In our area, they can be found in brushy areas or high in trees. I see them frequently along the creek and in the parks. Their preferred diet is insects, but they eat fruit when insects are scarce. I put banana peels and overripe fruit out to try to attract insects for them. I also see them drinking water from a dripping hose that I've hung in a tree.
Article by and photos copyrighted by Margaret Sloan.
To see more Birds from Quail Valley and Fort Bend, Birds of Quail Valley.
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