Townsend’s Warbler
Setophaga townsendi
The Townsend’s Warbler’s breeding habitat is forested lands with large coniferous trees on the Pacific northwestern coast and mountains of North America from Alaska south into Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Their winter homes are stretched along the western coast of North American from Washington to northern Baja California, and several inland locations from southeastern Arizona to Central America.
Their nests are shallow cups built with grass and lined with moss. These nests are usually placed atop a branch in a conifer. Females have been observed dismantling a constructed nest and later tearing it down an moving it to another tree. It isn’t fully understood why they do this. Townsend’s Warblers will sometimes cross breed with their closely related cousins, the Hermit Warbler.
I sometimes see these birds at my Southern California home during migration, but to date my favorite encounters with this and several other warbler species (and other species) has been atop Santa Rosa Mountain in souther Riverside County (California).

Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 13:42 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X9155-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: (Dendroica townsendi) Fall migrant bird on Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California USA 2004-08-25. |
Date Taken: 2004:08:25 15:31 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 |
File Name: JCD_9096TownsendsWarbler |
© 2004 Jack Daynes, (shadetree-Imaging.com) |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: (Dendroica townsendi) Cut-out from an image captured at the springs on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California USA 2014-08-30. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 15:29 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/100 |
File Name: Cut_D3X9424-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: (Dendroica townsendi) Bathing fall migrant female at the springs on Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California USA 2005-09-02. |
Date Taken: 2005:09:02 9:59 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/40 |
File Name: JCD0824TownsendsWarblerFem |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: (Dendroica townsendi) Bathing fall migrant female at the springs on Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California USA 2005-09-02. |
Date Taken: 2005:09:02 9:59 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/40 |
File Name: JCD0823TownsendsWarblerFem |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 15:29 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X9424-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 14:03 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X9232-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: At "The Springs" on Santa Rosa Mountain. Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:09:11 11:27 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 |
File Name: D3X2558-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, (shadetree-imaging.com) |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 8:52 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X8627-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 8:05 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/30 |
File Name: D3X8394-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: San Diego Botanical Garden (formerly 'Quail Gardens'). Encinitas, California in San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:12:08 13:36 |
Location:
San Diego Botanical Garden |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X3813-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: (Dendroica townsendi) Fall migration at the springs on Santa Rosa Mountain. Southern Riverside County, California USA 2011-09-11. |
Date Taken: 2011:09:11 16:09 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/30 |
File Name: D3X2773-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: (Dendroica townsendi) Bathing fall migrant bird at the springs on Santa Rosa Mountain. Southern Riverside County, California USA 2011-09-11. |
Date Taken: 2011:09:11 15:13 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/50 |
File Name: D3X2719-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, (shadetree-imaging.com) |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: (Dendroica townsendi) Bathing fall migrant bird at the springs on Santa Rosa Mountain. Southern Riverside County, California USA 2011-09-11. |
Date Taken: 2011:09:11 15:08 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/80 |
File Name: D3X2706-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: (Dendroica townsendi) Fall migration at the springs on Santa Rosa Mountain. Southern Riverside County, California USA 2011-09-11. |
Date Taken: 2011:09:11 11:42 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X2586-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: An early migrating bird at one of the "must see" locations in the Tijuana River Valley is The Bird and Butterfly Gardens. Numerous water drips and many trees and flowering bushes have been planted to provide nourishment for migrating birds. Tijuana River Valley, near Imperial Beach, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2019:09:06 13:31 |
Location:
Bird and Butterfly Garden |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: TownsendsWarbler_D5X8114-BirdButterflyGarden |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: An early migrating bird at one of the "must see" locations in the Tijuana River Valley is The Bird and Butterfly Gardens. Numerous water drips and many trees and flowering bushes have been planted to provide nourishment for migrating birds. Tijuana River Valley, near Imperial Beach, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2019:09:06 13:30 |
Location:
Bird and Butterfly Garden |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: TownsendsWarbler_D5X8066-BirdButterflyGarden |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: An early migrating bird at one of the "must see" locations in the Tijuana River Valley: The Bird and Butterfly Gardens. Numerous water drips and many trees and flowering bushes have been planted to provide nourishment for migrating birds. Tijuana River Valley, near Imperial Beach, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2019:09:06 13:31 |
Location:
Bird and Butterfly Garden |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: TownsendsWarbler_D5X8114-BirdButterflyGarden |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: An early migrating bird at one of the "must see" locations in the Tijuana River Valley: The Bird and Butterfly Gardens. Numerous water drips and many trees and flowering bushes have been planted to provide nourishment for migrating birds. Tijuana River Valley, near Imperial Beach, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2019:09:06 13:30 |
Location:
Bird and Butterfly Garden |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: TownsendsWarbler_D5X8066-BirdButterflyGarden |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: An early migrating bird at one of the "must see" locations in the Tijuana River Valley: The Bird and Butterfly Gardens. Numerous water drips and many trees and flowering bushes have been planted to provide nourishment for migrating birds. Tijuana River Valley, near Imperial Beach, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2019:09:06 13:30 |
Location:
Bird and Butterfly Garden |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: TownsendsWarbler_D5X8016-BirdButterflyGarden |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:12 17:41 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X3451-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:12 17:42 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X3452-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Townsend's Warbler(Setophaga townsendi) |
Description: Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains, south of Tucson Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2015:10:27 10:21 |
Location:
Madera Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 400 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D722529-TownsendsWarbler |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

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