Habitat: Orchards, gardens, and shade trees, rather than woods.
Nest: A beautiful cup lined with felt. This bird's nest has been
recorded as a favorite depository for cowbirds' eggs.
Range: North America. Breeds from northern Canadian and Alaskan
tree-regions to southern Missouri and northern South Carolina;
winters from Yucatan to Brazil and Peru.
The Yellow Warbler is one of the best known of its tribe. It is an
attractive, lovable little bird, a useful destroyer of small insects
that feed upon the leaves of trees, and a charming addition to any
orchard or garden, as it flits among the trees like a ray of sunshine.
It is frequently confused with the goldfinch; but careful observation of
markings, of flight, and of song will show decided differences. The
goldfinch has a black crown, wings, and tail, an unstreaked breast,
undulating flight, and a sustained song. This little olive and yellow
bird has no black in its plumage; it makes short flights, and sings a
simple strain. It is not a seed-eater, like the finches, but is
insectivorous.
[Illustration: YELLOW WARBLER]