At 12:48 01/04/2006, Elise Kreiss wrote:
I wondered, "Where do these things usually winter?"

Hi Elise, et al.

I know I'm doing the "nerd thing" here, but the BNA on-line accounts are so 
easy to access and are very informative. So, here is even more on the 
distribution of the Townsend's Warbler, including winter range and vagrant 
records. There might even be a few more people out there that might find 
this to be of interest ...

BTW, Townsend's Warbler was in the top five of the "Maryland's Next 
Species" poll taken back in 2001. The other four in the top five? Eurasian 
Collared-Dove (accepted), Cave Swallow (currently in review), Little Egret 
and Say's Pheobe (still waiting!).

Phil

PS. As indicated below, the species is unreported outside of North America, 
but in May 2004 we had one at Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska in the 
Bering Sea, only 40 miles from Russia. Since it was at the NW corner of the 
island, it appeared to be heading that way ...


TOWNSEND'S WARBLER

THE AMERICAS
Breeding range
Figure 1. Western North America, generally from e.-central Alaska south to 
mountains of w. Montana, Idaho, and Oregon. More specifically, breeds in 
e.-central, s.-central, and se. Alaska (Spindler and Kessel 1980); in 
Klondike River valley of w.-central Yukon (around Dawson), and in 
s.-central Yukon from Whitehorse to Watson Lake, but apparently absent from 
locations between these 2 areas (Birds of Yukon Project unpubl.); w. and s. 
British Columbia, including Queen Charlotte Is. and Vancouver I. (Godfrey 
1986); in Rocky Mtns. along border of extreme sw. Alberta (Semenchuk 1992); 
and Cypress Hills of extreme sw. Saskatchewan (rare; Smith 1996). In 
continental U.S., breeds in northwestern portion of Montana (Bergeron et 
al. 1992); possibly in nw. Wyoming (Oakleaf et al. 1992); throughout 
Idaho’s higher mountains with fir forests (Stephens and Sturts 1991); 
Washington, throughout northernmost counties of the state (west to Puget 
Sound), throughout Cascades, in Blue Mtns. of the southeast, and in 
mountains of n. Olympic Peninsula (Washington Breeding Bird Atlas unpubl.); 
and in Oregon, in fir forests of Blue, Ochoco, and Wallowa Mtns. of the 
northeast, on east slope of Cascades, probably above 1,400 m on west side 
of Cascades, and in Warner Mtns. of Lake Co.; breeding has also been 
recorded in Linn, Lane, and Tillamook Cos. (Gilligan et al. 1994). Although 
Ridgway (1902: 560) suggests “breeding from mountains of s. California,” no 
other reports of breeding in this area (Garrett and Dunn 1981, Small 1994).

Winter range
Figure 1. Winters in 2 distinct geographic areas: One extends from extreme 
sw. British Columbia south along Pacific Coast to n. Baja California; the 
other extends from n. Mexico (and locally from se. Arizona and sw. Texas) 
south to Costa Rica.

First group has shorter wings than second and is especially prevalent along 
central coast of California (Morrison 1983, Root 1988). Along Pacific 
Coast, winters on se. Vancouver I. and on extreme southwestern coast of 
British Columbia. In Oregon, uncommon in inland w. Oregon (west of 
Cascades) and along coast, with high variability among years (Gilligan et 
al. 1994). In California, wintering individuals are uncommon from Del Norte 
Co. south to Sonoma Co. but common along the central coast, becoming less 
common southward from San Lois Obispo Co. south to Santa Barbara Co., and 
uncommon south to n. Baja California peninsula (Root 1988, Small 1994, 
Howell and Webb 1995). Small (1994: 221) indicates that “moving eastward 
from the coast they rapidly become scarce, and are very rare in the 
interior valleys and deserts.” Also winters throughout Baja California 
Norte, except along east coast and in extreme southern portion (Howell and 
Webb 1995).

The second, larger wintering area extends somewhat discontinuously from se. 
Arizona and sw. Texas south to Costa Rica. Winters locally in se. Arizona 
from Portal, Cochise Co., west to Phoenix, Maricopa Co. (Monson and 
Phillips 1981), and in Chisos Mtns. of Big Bend National Park, Brewster 
Co., in sw. Texas (Root 1988). In Middle America, winters in interior and 
along Pacific slope from ne. Sonora, w. Chihuahua, San Luis Potosí, and 
Nuevo León, Mexico, south to s. Guatemala, and from n. El Salvador and s. 
Honduras to nw. Nicaragua (Howell and Webb 1995). High wintering densities 
in highlands of Chiapas, Mexico (Vidal-Rodriguez 1992), and Guatemala (Bent 
1953). Also winters in highlands of s. Costa Rica, where observed 
“consistently” at Monteverde and Villa Mills on the Cordillera de 
Talamanca. In Costa Rica, found between 1,350 and 3,000 m in disturbed 
forest, edges, and second growth (Stiles and Skutch 1989). Observed in 
Chiriquí Province of w. Panama (4 winter records; Ridgely and Gwynne 1989).

Vagrant records in North America
Extralimital records have occurred in area east of Great Plains, but most 
frequently along Atlantic Coast from at least Nova Scotia south to Florida 
(DeSante and Pyle 1986), and in Bermuda (Amos 1991). Records from coastal 
and offshore locations have occurred during both spring and fall, with 
occasional birds overwintering. Overwintering (at least through Dec) most 
common in Nova Scotia. Some examples of the frequency and occurrence of 
verified extralimital records at other coastal or offshore locations are as 
follows. Massachusetts: 3 records, including 2 in winter (1–12 Dec 1991 and 
16–30 Dec 1987) and 1 in spring (May; Veit and Petersen 1993). New York: at 
least 9 records through 1978, including 7 spring records (15 Apr–9 May) and 
2 fall records (Oct) (summary in DiCostanzo et al. 1978). Cape May, NJ: 2 
fall records (Sep and Nov; Sibley 1993). Florida: at least 5 records 
through 1992, including 3 in fall (Sep), 1 overwintering (12 Jan–7 Apr 
1969), and 1 in spring (no date given; Stevenson and Anderson 1994). 
Bermuda: 5 records, including 4 in fall (Sep and Oct), and 1 in winter (2 
Dec 1975–3 Jan 1976; Amos 1991). In areas east of Great Plains away from 
coast, extralimital records are rare, most occurring during spring. 
Examples include Minnesota (1 May record; Clauson 1979, Janssen 1987) and 
Ohio (1 Apr record; Peterjohn 1989).

OUTSIDE THE AMERICAS
Not recorded.

HISTORICAL CHANGES
In Alaska, range may be expanding northward or fluctuating. Recently found 
as far north as Livengood (A. E. Morkill, Bureau of Land Manage., 
Fairbanks, pers. comm., Armstrong 1995). First reported in e.-central 
Alaska in 1961, and considered a common breeder by 1965 (Kessel and 
Springer 1966). Influence of hybrid zone with Hermit Warbler on 
distribution is not well documented.

FOSSIL HISTORY
No fossil history available (Sibley and Ahlquist 1990).


CITATION
Wright, A. L., G. D. Hayward, S. M. Matsouka, and P. H. Hayward. 1998. 
Townsend’s Warbler (Dendroica townsendi). In The Birds of North America, 
No. 333 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., 
Philadelphia, PA.



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Phil Davis      Davidsonville, Maryland     USA
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