Follow along with our Texas representative, Azalia Rodriguez, and partners as they monitor for the endangered Golden-Cheeked Warbler before it migrates south for the winter. Learn more at:
https://defenders.org/wildlife/golden-cheeked-warbler
Video Transcript:
Hi. I’m Azalia Rodriguez, Texas representative for Defenders of Wildlife. And today we’re out here at Balcones Canyonlands Preserve in Austin, Texas. I’m with forest ecologists and a senior biologist. And we’re doing a walkabout and potentially observing and monitoring some Golden-Cheeked Warblers.
Named for the bright yellow markings on the bird’s head, the Golden-Cheeked Warbler is a neotropical migratory songbird. It breeds and raises its young in the Ashe juniper oak woodlands of Central Texas from March to July and then flies to the mountain pine oak forests of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras for the winter months.
All Golden-Cheeked Warblers are born in Texas, so the state plays a vital role for its survival. The warbler was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1990 due to dramatic reduction in the habitat.
The females use the long strips of bark from mature Ashe juniper trees such as these as the main material for nest building.
If you live in central Texas, what you can do to help keep the Golden-Cheeked Warbler safe is if you have cats, you can keep them indoors. Cats kill an estimated 2.4 billion birds each year in the United States. Participate in local lights out actions to avoid bird strikes. Maintain old growth, Ashe juniper trees on your land, and help dispel the myth that Ashe juniper trees are bad for the region and share information about their benefits. Share your understanding about the Golden-Cheeked Warbler and their habitat and support your local parks and conservation organizations in protecting warbler habitats.
