Willy the Warbler.

In the ambient, morning light of what is sure to be a warm day, a Red-Winged Blackbird sounds their vehement trill from the swaying reed of a Cattail. While their vibrant shoulders are aflame with the sun’s reflection, a House Wren’s song echoes from the mouth of the nest box they’ve taken residence in. 

Elsewhere, amid the chartreuse leaves of Colorado spring, a whimsical, warbling melody burbles down from the sky and wraps you in a cheerful cascade. The sound comes from some vague origin, hidden within the dappled canopy of the Cottonwoods. Although quite elusive, unlike the brazen attitude of the Red-Winged Blackbird, you might just be lucky enough to observe the artist- a tiny, golden orb that is a Yellow Warbler. If you’re even luckier, you might get to witness them delicately wrapped in the loving hands of a dedicated conservationist. 

Little bird. Big journey.

Yellow Warblers are small songbirds, weighing in at about 9-11 grams, or, the weight of approximately 3 pieces of paper. Traveling ever so lightly, each spring they migrate thousands of miles from their wintering grounds in Mexico, to their breeding grounds right here in Colorado. Imagine, for a moment, both the lightness and strength of being. A bird, half the size of your palm and weighing markedly less, traversing an expansive distance full of varying terrain, powerful weather patterns and the unfortunate, growing truth of habitat loss and human development. 

Then, consider taking this journey 18 times. Nine from Mexico to Colorado, nine in reverse. This is the tale of Willy the Warbler- a name we have affectionately and internally (well, not anymore) given to a Yellow Warbler who did just that. 

Finding a steady seasonal home at the Kingery Nature Center.

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Between 2006 and 2015, this winged wanderer found nourishment and shelter at the Denver Audubon Kingery Nature Center for 9 different seasons. How do we know this? Due to the critical conservation effort of Bird Banding- a tool used by scientists and conservationists to determine the health of habitats and bird populations. Each Spring, Denver Audubon contracts a wildlife biologist, Meredith McBurney aka the aforementioned dedicated conservationist, to conduct the effort, in which she applies uniquely numbered bands on the legs of birds in order to track the distribution and movements of species, their relative numbers, annual production, life span, and causes of death.
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With an average lifespan of 9 to 10 years for a Yellow Warbler, this means that Willy, our loyal traveler, took residence in the Denver Audubon’s Important Bird Area for nearly every Spring of his intrepid life. This loyalty has a name- Site Fidelity, which refers to the phenomenon of a bird, even those migrating thousands of miles, returning to the same exact spot year after year.

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A consistent habitat is the key for migrants like Willy.

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Site fidelity not only illuminates stories about individuals, like Willy, but it tells us about their relationship with essential habitats. It confirms that these habitats provide critical sources of food, rest, and breeding space for species. According to the Denver Audubon’s Conservation Manager, Audrey Hicks, “if birds are arriving, whether migratory or breeding, and there isn’t a supportive high quality habitat, then they might not have sufficient food and resources to have a successful nest.” In more extreme cases, if these habitats are destroyed or developed upon, the birds reliant upon them will die.

 If Willy the Warbler arrived at his trusted spot to find instead walls of reflective glass or a parking lot, well, you can imagine the end of that story… 

Willy’s story elucidates “that our work is vital and that we need to continue so that there is hope for these migrants to return year after year,” says Nicole Bopp, Executive Director of the Denver Audubon. “Certainly the area has seen development pressure and significant change, but even this undisturbed habitat still provides the habitat this small warbler needs.”

Protecting places of nature for birds - and us.

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A decade after Willy’s last visit, this truth still remains. However, according to McBurney, we are not finding as many older Yellow Warblers as we once were. We do not have exact reasons for why this might be, but it is important to consider that the Banding Station is only one stop on these migratory birds’ journey. While this area is protected, the land between their wintering and non-wintering grounds is facing the continual pressures of development, climate change, pesticides, and more. 

But there is hope. We find it in the Summer Tanager that arrived in early May, a bird we have never before seen at the Nature Center. We find it in the American Redstarts, a new species that has moved in and is, so far, thriving. We also find it in you. “Not only has the Denver Audubon, but the larger Colorado community has prioritized protecting this habitat at Chatfield and maintaining an important bird sanctuary,” says Bopp. “Without this effort and work, Willy would not be.” Willy and all the Yellow Warblers since. Willy and all the Yellow Warblers yet to come. 
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In this time where conservation efforts, like Bird Banding, are at risk. In this time where, because of this, we might not get to know the individual Warblers that are yet to come to our Nature Center and Banding station, your voice and actions matter more than ever. Your support, donations, and engagement with the Denver Audubon help us to keep conserving and protect birds.

 “As an organization that is over 60 percent funded by individuals, it says that what we do is highly valued by individuals and it's valued because they find the same joy and compassion for wild things and they need to have natural spaces to be in and connect to,” says Bopp. “This is what people want, this is what people need to survive in these urban and modern times.”

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