Photo by John Ingram

For more in depth information about the golden-cheeked warbler, go to the Bull Creek Preserve Ecoweb Tour. Additional picture may be found there and in the Division's Photo Gallery.

Songs of the golden-cheeked warbler

Songs provided by Dr. Paul Cavanaugh, Texas Nature Conservancy, Fort Hood. Click play button and allow time to download.

Type A -male to male communication used to establish territory.

Type B - song often indicates female is near.

The golden-cheeked warbler
Listed as an endangered species in May of 1990, the golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) migrates between Central Texas where it breeds in spring and summer and southern Mexico and Central America where it lives during the winter months. It is an endemic species here in Texas because it is only found to breed within a specialized habitat in the Central Texas region. Since this species is restricted to a specific habitat for breeding, it is far more susceptible to population decline and extinction than more adaptable and less specialized generalist species.

Males of the species can be recognized for the markings it is named for, brilliant yellow feathers on its "cheeks", or sides of its head, with a black stripe through the eye, a black throat and cap on the head with a white belly. The female resembles the male warbler, but with less striking colors. Though its reputation is large, it is not at about four to five inches in length. Typical of most warblers, males of this species have a very melodic song. They are known to sing one song when they are setting up territories early in the breeding season-the "A" song-and a slightly different song later in the season-the "B" song. (click in sidebar to hear). Males and females also make a single sharp chipping note while foraging in trees.

These birds are insectivores, meaning they forage, or feed, entirely on caterpillars, spiders, beetles, and other insects found in the tree foliage. These insects are abundant in the relatively moist conditions of the wooded slopes and canyons the warbler occupies. Vital to its habitat are healthy and diverse populations of hardwoods that support these insect communities, particularly the Spanish Oak or Texas Red Oak (Quercus buckleyi). As one of the first trees to leaf out in spring, it provides a concentrated supply of food as the birds begin to arrive from their migration in early March.

The primary threat to golden-cheeked warblers in Central Texas is habitat loss and fragmentation due to urban encroachment. Travis County contains the greatest amount of warbler habitat in large, undisturbed tracts. This habitat is characterized by closed-canopy stands of mature Ashe juniper mixed with species of oak such as live oak, Spanish oak, and shin oak. This type of mixed oak-juniper woodland typically grows in mesic, or relatively moist, areas such as the steep-sided canyons and slopes of the Balcones Canyonlands. Mature juniper trees, generally over 20 years old and 15 feet tall, are vital because they have shredding bark that is used almost exclusively by warblers, along with spider webs, as nest building material.

Uplands and ridge tops above their canyon habitats are also important to conserve. Parent birds have been observed foraging there and teaching their young to do so, as well as fly. The higher elevations are also essential for absorbing rainfall and allowing it slowly percolate through rock layers emerging as springs within the canyons. This source of moisture is essential for support of the habitat golden-cheeked warblers, and the entire ecosystem. When the uplands are built on, impervious cover can interfere with natural drainage and absorption patterns disrupting spring flow and introducing pollutants into habitat.