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Golden-winged Warbler

Posted on Mar 27, 2017

Without a doubt, one of the highlights of our recent work in Costa Rica was the recapture of this Golden-winged Warbler, which was banded last year in the same area it was caught this year, near Rara Avis Rainforest Lodge. Since we last saw it in March of 2016, it undoubtedly traveled back to its breeding grounds somewhere in North America and hopefully managed to find a mate of its own species. Golden-winged Warblers are suffering from dramatic declines throughout their range, and are increasingly hybridizing with closely-related Blue-winged Warblers. As a result, this species is at serious risk of disappearing altogether. Data points like this one, where we are able to identify the wintering habitat of these endangered birds, provide critical information to guide effective conservation measures.