The Yellow-bellied Warbler, also known as the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Warbler, is a small, brightly-colored bird found in the northern forests of North America. With its olive-green upperparts, yellow underparts, and distinct black markings on its face and wings, this tiny species is a striking sight to behold. It measures around 11 centimeters in length and weighs only 8 to 9 grams, making it one of the smallest warbler species.
The Yellow-bellied Warbler is primarily an insectivore, feeding on a variety of insects and spiders found in the trees. It has a unique feeding style of hovering in the air and snatching its prey mid-flight. This species can be found in dense, coniferous forests during the summer breeding season and in deciduous forests during the winter months. They are found in a range of habitats, including spruce-fir forest, mixed deciduous forest, and boreal forest, and will occasionally venture into suburban areas if food is plentiful.
The breeding season of the Yellow-bellied Warbler in North America is from May to September. They build their nests in conifers or deciduous trees, 3 to 12 meters above the ground. Both male and female share the responsibilities of building the nest, incubating the eggs, and feeding the young. The nest is a compact cup made of grasses, mosses, bark strips, and spider silk, lined with fine plant fibers or animal hair. They lay about 4 to 5 eggs, which hatch after 11 to 12 days.
One of the unique characteristics of this species is its migratory habits. In fall and winter, Yellow-bellied Warblers migrate to Mexico and Central America for the winter, before returning to their breeding grounds in North America in the spring. During migration, they can often be found in mixed-species foraging flocks with other warblers and chickadees.
Currently, the Yellow-bellied Warbler is not considered a species of concern in terms of conservation status. Their population numbers have remained stable, and they are still relatively common throughout their range. However, loss of forested habitats due to deforestation and climate change could pose a potential threat to their future survival. If conservation efforts are not made, the Yellow-bellied Warbler's population could decline.