One of the most striking birds to descend on Orange County this time of year is Townsend’s warbler, a visitor that becomes a bit more common in fall and spring.
The yellow and black heads, especially among males, are prominent even when the birds aren’t in their northern breeding grounds, but are heading south on their long, scattered migrations, as they are now.
Look for them in places like Huntington Central Park and Mason Regional Park. They might be high in trees, especially conifers, but they also come down to the ground at times in search of insects.
They might also mix with other birds, including other warblers, so bring your field guide – or the nearest birder.
These birds breed as far north as Alaska and winter as far south as Mexico and Central America. They don’t breed in Orange County, and the ones we see in spring and fall are either passing through or stopping for the winter.
Their song, often described as “buzzy,” is rarely heard here in fall, but some of the males will sing come springtime.
If, like me, you’re a bumbling birder at best, you might confuse them with the hermit warbler. Lucky for us, hybrids of the two species, found in the Pacific northwest, are unlikely to be seen here.
One trick that works on these birds is the well-known “pish pish” sound birders make. Curious warblers, even in winter, will often come out into the open to see what all the pishing is about.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7865 or pbrennan@ocregister.com.
