A few birds from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
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Wilson's Warbler:Wilson’s Warbler Cungakcuarnaq This tiny warbler is a real gem, and when flitting through the bushes on a cloudy day looks like a golden ray of sunshine. No wonder it is graced with so many names everywhere it’s found. Let’s begin with Yup’ik names. I’ve found three of them so far, and they cover all the bases of what the bird is: Cungakcuarnaq means “the little bird that is the color of greenish-yellow bile;” Ciivcivciuk is imitative of its call (the male sings a quick rolling chitter, drooping in pitch at the end: t’le t’le t’le t’le chee chee chee; and Ciugciugciaq describes its behavior of tilting its head up while either singing or searching for edible tidbits. And that’s only the beginning. In English, the Wilson’s warbler was named after the 19th century ornithologist, Alexander Wilson. So was its scientific name, which means, “Wilson’s very small warbler.” Other English names for this rolly polly little bird are: Pileolated warbler; Golden pileolated warbler; Green black-capped warbler; Northern pileolated warbler; Wilson’s black-cap; Wilson’s black-capped flycatching warbler; and Wilson’s pileolated warbler. Finally, for those who speak French: Fauvette jaune, Paruline à calotte noire, and Paruline jaune; and Spanish: Chipe amarillo, Chipe corona negra, Reinita gorrinegra, Reinita de Wilson, Chipe careto, Reinita de capucha, Chipe Coroninegro and Verdin amarillo. If you’re searching for Ciivcivciuk, check out thickets of second growth saplings, black spruce and tamarack in sphagnum bogs, or stands of willows, alders and birches near creeks and ponds. You won’t find them deep in the forest. While feeding they usually stay within 10 feet of the ground. They are lively little birds, jerking their tails as they glean insects, caterpillars and spiders from the leaves of bushes, especially near water. You’ll also frequently see them darting into the air to catch flying insects. Or sometimes you may see the little guys hopping on the ground, probing among fallen leaves, then, as I mentioned above for Ciugciugciaq, tilting its head upward and fluttering into the air to take prey from the undersides of leaves and branches. In spring, male Wilson’s warblers migrate north to Alaska ahead of females and arrive first on their nesting grounds to establish their breeding territories. After the arrival of the females the mating game begins. During courting the male flits about restlessly trying to dazzle his paramour with an exhibition of color and dance and a spirited repertoire of song, t’le t’le t’le t’e chee chee chee. It doesn’t take long for the female to decide on her soul mate and she quickly settles into the serious business of building her nest, usually on the ground in a secluded nook in the grass or tundra, often at the base of a small willow or other shrub. The nest is a bulky open cup, made of grass, moss and dead leaves, and lined with finer grass and animal hair. She lays 4-7 creamy white, brown-speckled eggs that she incubates by herself for 10-13 days. The nestlings are fed by both parents, but only the mother bird broods them. The young fledge between 8-13 days after hatching. Both parents feed the fledglings for a short period after they leave the nest, but very soon the young learn to feed themselves. For the next few weeks, however, one or both parents tend them, with some of the young staying with one parent while the rest accompany the other. Together they now hurriedly fatten up for their long fall migration to places as far away as southern Mexico and Central America. In March, 2013, during a 10 day birding hike across the tropical Sierra Madre mountains in Chiapas, Mexico (located next to Guatemala), I was privileged to see them in their winter homes. What a treat that was. A cool fact is that the color and size of Wilson’s warblers depends on where they nest. Those that nest along the Pacific coast have the brightest yellow, even orangish, foreheads and faces. And birds that nest in Alaska and the western-central part of the Lower 48 are larger than eastern and Pacific coast populations. A cool bird, eh?  |
