In a Lacey Oak, one of its favorite trees.
This is a page about one of my favorite birds, and one of
the neatest warblers IMHO, the Golden-cheeked. It is the only
bird species whose entire known breeding range lies within
Texas. It is one of the most restriced-range species in
North America. It is a beautiful and fascinating warbler
that is only present in the U.S. on the Edwards Plateau from
early March to early August, but is harder to find by early
or mid- July, and actually can start getting dicey by later
June. You have a roughly 90 day window when it is pretty sure
and easy, and a couple or few weeks past that it is usually
gettable with more effort, but harder, and not a sure thing.
First summer male Golden-cheeked Warbler.
The species has "threatened" status, one click below endangered.
I have heard population estimates of ten thousand individuals.
Which may sound like a lot, but is not. Billions of Passenger
Pigeons, and many millions of Eskimo Curlew were extinguished
in only a few years. Watching the population at Lost Maples
closely for the last 15 years I see for instance this year
(2018) a) fewer birds, and b) several to many prime territories
occupied by first spring males, where that has never occurred
before. It is likely not a good sign.
As an example, when West Nile Virus came through the U.S.,
many states lost most of their Chickadees, or Blue Jays and
other Corvids, most Yellow-billed Magpie in Calif., and various
other species in other states. It took out birds by the millions
in a few years. Something as simple as that can take out ten
thousand birds in a year or two, easy. So don't think it
is a lot of birds.
Fledgling Golden-cheeked Warbler, not so fancy at first.
The key to the 'why here?' question is Ashe Juniper.
The female Golden-cheeked Warbler makes the nest almost
entirely out of the peeling bark of the Ashe Juniper.
This requires old mature trees. It is the most beautiful round
cedar chest of bark strips you ever saw. My guess is that it
would have great insecticidal (or miticidal) qualities for the
nestlings. I have seen them flying with over foot-long strips
of the thin peeled bark strips. They use the bark, though
I have never seen a nest in a juniper. The nest is often hidden
in, next to, or between a clump of ball moss in a Lacey Oak here.
Nearish the top or high on sides of tree, just in from the tips,
often under overhanging clump of leaves.
The breeding range of the warbler matches that of Ashe Juniper.
Edwards Plateau only in the U.S. Certainly the warblers spend
lots of time feeding in the junipers. Around here, the four
trees they are most in are Buckley (Spanish) Oaks, Lacey Oak,
Plateau Live-Oak, and Ashe Juniper. Then at Lost Maples they
do like the Rocky Mountain Bigtooth Maples quite a bit too.
Though I would not suggest searching for them there, I have
seen them perch and actually sally from a powerline, and on
an old-fashioned TV antenna. In both cases they seemed to
find the artificial perches extremely distasteful to the feet.
Hundreds of people a year spend thousands of dollars to
come to the Edwards Plateau to see this very special bird.
And it is worth it. I could not say that it was not a factor
in me living here. It is really a very neat, very unique
warbler. For me, being able to see and watch it over and over,
to get to start to really actually KNOW it, has been a dream.
Like Janovy said in his book Yellowlegs, get to know one bird
species intimately, and you will see every bird differently.
I am sometimes available to guide individuals or groups
in seeing this very special warbler. If you desire expert
level professional bird guiding services, send an e-mail.
I am intimately familiar with its every chip note. :):)
Besides next two pictures below that I didn't take,
here are some mostly poor pictures of a good bird ...
a couple accidently were OK. These first two great ones
you can tell can not possibly be mine.
The above picture was digi-scoped (digital camera up to telescope)
by Kelli Levinson and used with permission. All rights reserved.
This great photo of blooming live-oaks, oh, and a male
Golden-cheeked Warbler was taken by Dianne Papet, April
2015, at one of my favorite roadside stops a few miles
from Utopia. Knowing where to stop can come in handy. ;)
In an Ashe Juniper, the peeling bark of which the female makes the nest from.
Only old trees have the peeling bark the female makes the nest from.
The cheek is so bright it is easy to have it get blown out
in overexposure in full sun at the wrong angle. The green in
the back and pale in chin indicate a first spring male, as do
worn brown primaries.
The easiest, prettiest place to see them is
at Lost Maples State Natural Area. Walk the
Can Creek trail to the ponds area and just beyond,
and you should hear many and see some mid-March to
mid-June. I have seen them as late as early August
there, rarely. Many have left by later June, and
mid to late July are usually when the last few seen.
Do not play birdsong tapes in Texas State Parks, or for
endangered (or threatened) species anytime anywhere.
Singing "she says I'm so laaaaa-zzzeee"
In a Buckley (aka Spanish and Red) Oak, another favored tree.
The next group of photos were all taken post-breeding,
late June to early August, mostly in July, of birds
in our former front yard on Thunder Creek Road,
where they don't breed. The numbers seen at
this non-descript non-breeding site during
the 6 weeks after breeding and before migrating out
of the country (over 20 birds in 6 weeks)
were pleasantly surprising.
Note how green the back might appear, and none of
these show the juvenile females back well.
They are as green as a Black-throated Green Warbler
but a darker shade, less yellow olive toned.
All the field guides depict *first winter* birds
for immatures in which the back is much blacker
than juveniles. Odd since the first winter
plumage they show is not really seen in the U.S.,
and what is, is not shown. sheesh ... experts.
Golden-cheeked Warbler male feeding fledgling in June
(taken through telescope from safe distance)
At first while being fed still they can have a lemony cast on breast (May).
They're on their own as their back turns green from the initial gray.
(leaf cutting off face)
Golden-cheeked Warbler (juvenile)
At first they don't even have a golden cheek this juvenile is about half way there.
One last spring male shot.
Golden-cheeked Warbler, the Edwards Plateau's most endemic
bird species, it breeds nowhere else.
Now you have virtually seen a Golden-cheeked Warbler!
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