The Wilson's warbler usually nests on the
ground under dense cover. However they will also nest in shrubs
but usually within a few feet of the ground and always in dense
cover.
Habitat/ plant community used by the Wilson's
warbler
The Wilson's warbler is usually found in moist
habitats with dense vegetation. This warbler shows up at the Santa Margarita nursery occasionally. One of those time one landed three foot in front of me chasing a moth or some other small insect, I had the camera out taking another picture, couldn't focus. Story of my life, lack of focus.
How to attract the Wilson's warbler to your
garden
To
attract the Wilson's warbler to your garden some willows,
Salix spp. would be a good plant to plant.
Almost every time I have seen this bird in the
wild it has been associated with willow; willows along the edge
of a mountain meadow, riparian areas with dense willows, etc.
Willows provide excellent cover for lots of other species of
bird, including the Chestnut-backed
chickadee and California
Quail. Willows also serve as an excellent screen and they
grow very rapidly. They do need some water but in most
conventional gardens that is not a problem. It also seams to like
the dense foliage in our demonstration garden. It hops between a
Toyon, a Ribes
specieosum, and a Prunus
virginiana demissa.
Diet
of the Wilson's warbler
The
Wilson's warbler eats almost entirely insects. These insects are
usually obtained by gleaning. Also a few seeds and berries.
Range of the Wilson's warbler
The Wilson's warbler is found along the coast
of California and throughout the sierra Nevada and cascade
ranges. The are not found in the central valley or the deserts.
Having said this, three of the four pictures we have of the
Wilson's warbler were taken in the middle of the Mojave desert.
This was in a spring with a few mature willows
and dense cover. The other picture was taken along the coast also
in a willow
thicket.
Migration of the Wilson's warbler
The Wilson's Warbler is only found in
California in the summer. This is mainly due to the fact the the
bird eats insects. The huge quantities of insects that are normal
found in the stat during the summer months are reduced in most
parts of the state by cold. So the Wilson's warbler moves south
to Mexico or the southern coast of California.
