Habitat/Nesting
Typical nesting habitat for the Golden-Cheeked Warbler is in tall, dense, mature stands of Ashe Juniper mixed with deciduous trees such as Spanish oak, live oak, cedar elm, bigtooth maple, pecan, and sycamore. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the ratio for juniper to oak is roughly 70%/30%. These types of forests are found in relatively moist soil conditions along steep slopes of canyons and drainage bottoms. Warblers need this mixture of Ashe juniper and hardwoods as nesting habitat. This type of mixed forest the warbler needs to nest and live in is a very slow growing forest. It could take 50-100 years for the forest to become prime habitat for nesting. Warblers nest in the Ashe juniper trees 75-80% of the time and in oaks or cedar elms the other 20-25%. The Ashe juniper that is selected for a nest sight has to be an older, more mature tree that has a trunk diameter of 5 inches or bigger. Warblers use these older Ashe Juniper trees to construct their nests. As an Ashe juniper matures the bark on the tree starts to peel off the tree and this is what the warbler uses to construct the nest. As seen in figure 4, the bark of a mature Ashe juniper tree that is stripping off. The two main ingredients for a Golden-Cheeked Warbler nest are the Ashe juniper bark and spider webs. These trees and bark are used to build nests because of the camouflaging ability they produce. It is very difficult to find their nests in the trees because they are relatively small. Nests are usually constructed in the crotch of a two limbs towards the center of the tree about 2/3 up the tree. In a typical year a female warbler will lay 4 eggs and out of those 2-3 usually survive to adulthood. The male Golden-Cheeked Warbler is very territorial. They will defend against another male intruding on his territory. The male warbler has two different types of song; A-song is his territorial song and B-song is his fight song with other males that are in his territory. The male warbler will set up a territory approximately 3-6 acres in size. Banding studies have shown that male warblers will come back to the same territory year after year and sometimes choose the same mate. Banding studies have helped research teams learn about the warbler. In order to band the warbler, the research team will go into a known territory and play the B-song or fight song. With a net set up the challenging warbler or the female looking for a mate will come in looking for the other warbler. Once they are caught in the net the researchers can band the bird. A unique combination of bands will be put on the warbler and that data will be collected. This unique banding will be that bird’s identity. In the video below shows the technique the researchers use to band the warbler. The main threats to the nests and young of the Golden-Cheeked Warbler are the Texas rat snake and the Brown-headed cowbird. Golden-Cheeked Warblers prefer dense cover and use a very careful camouflaging scheme while building a nest on purpose. The Texas rat snake is notorious for finding a warbler nest and eating the eggs or even the young. The other is the parasite cowbird, which is known to either lay their eggs in unattended nests or even to push/destroy the eggs that are in the nest and lay their own eggs in that nest. The bird will them raise the cowbird eggs and nestlings as their own. Texas Parks and Wildlife has tried to control the cowbird population on properties where the Golden-Cheeked Warbler nests by using traps to catch the cowbird.
Typical nesting habitat for the Golden-Cheeked Warbler is in tall, dense, mature stands of Ashe Juniper mixed with deciduous trees such as Spanish oak, live oak, cedar elm, bigtooth maple, pecan, and sycamore. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the ratio for juniper to oak is roughly 70%/30%. These types of forests are found in relatively moist soil conditions along steep slopes of canyons and drainage bottoms. Warblers need this mixture of Ashe juniper and hardwoods as nesting habitat. This type of mixed forest the warbler needs to nest and live in is a very slow growing forest. It could take 50-100 years for the forest to become prime habitat for nesting. Warblers nest in the Ashe juniper trees 75-80% of the time and in oaks or cedar elms the other 20-25%. The Ashe juniper that is selected for a nest sight has to be an older, more mature tree that has a trunk diameter of 5 inches or bigger. Warblers use these older Ashe Juniper trees to construct their nests. As an Ashe juniper matures the bark on the tree starts to peel off the tree and this is what the warbler uses to construct the nest. As seen in figure 4, the bark of a mature Ashe juniper tree that is stripping off. The two main ingredients for a Golden-Cheeked Warbler nest are the Ashe juniper bark and spider webs. These trees and bark are used to build nests because of the camouflaging ability they produce. It is very difficult to find their nests in the trees because they are relatively small. Nests are usually constructed in the crotch of a two limbs towards the center of the tree about 2/3 up the tree. In a typical year a female warbler will lay 4 eggs and out of those 2-3 usually survive to adulthood. The male Golden-Cheeked Warbler is very territorial. They will defend against another male intruding on his territory. The male warbler has two different types of song; A-song is his territorial song and B-song is his fight song with other males that are in his territory. The male warbler will set up a territory approximately 3-6 acres in size. Banding studies have shown that male warblers will come back to the same territory year after year and sometimes choose the same mate. Banding studies have helped research teams learn about the warbler. In order to band the warbler, the research team will go into a known territory and play the B-song or fight song. With a net set up the challenging warbler or the female looking for a mate will come in looking for the other warbler. Once they are caught in the net the researchers can band the bird. A unique combination of bands will be put on the warbler and that data will be collected. This unique banding will be that bird’s identity. In the video below shows the technique the researchers use to band the warbler. The main threats to the nests and young of the Golden-Cheeked Warbler are the Texas rat snake and the Brown-headed cowbird. Golden-Cheeked Warblers prefer dense cover and use a very careful camouflaging scheme while building a nest on purpose. The Texas rat snake is notorious for finding a warbler nest and eating the eggs or even the young. The other is the parasite cowbird, which is known to either lay their eggs in unattended nests or even to push/destroy the eggs that are in the nest and lay their own eggs in that nest. The bird will them raise the cowbird eggs and nestlings as their own. Texas Parks and Wildlife has tried to control the cowbird population on properties where the Golden-Cheeked Warbler nests by using traps to catch the cowbird.