Hello, fellow birders! Today is November 23, 2021. As you know, Thanksgiving is nearing. In this article, I will describe my encounters with wintering Orange-crowned warblers today.
What are Orange-crowned warblers?
First, I will start by giving a description of orange-crowned warblers. These greenish-yellow birds have a orange crown that is rarely seen. Their call, more common when wintering in Texas, is a flat chip, similar to a cardinal's but softer. Orange-crowned warblers prefer light forests, woodlands, thickets, and weed fields.
Winter Migration Boost
The migration of these warblers experiences a huge boost around Thanksgiving with very large numbers. I saw many of them in my backyard today, hopping around and searching for insects. I used Merlin Sound ID and my binoculars to identify that they were Orange-crowned warblers. These birds will appear in late summer in Central Texas, then stay through the fall and depart in early winter.
Conclusion
I hope this article helped you! Go out in your backyard as soon as you can, because you might just spot a few Orange-crowned warblers!