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Golden-winged Warbler Research

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By Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center January 28, 2025

The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera), a small chickadee-like bird with a distinctive golden-colored cap and wing bars, is a species of considerable conservation concern in North America, primarily due to widespread population declines attributable to habitat loss and hybridization with the Blue-winged Warbler (V. cyanoptera) in areas of sympatry. Recent concerns extend to the effects of a changing climate on species distribution and spatial overlap with Blue-winged Warblers. Declines in the species have motivated the US Fish and Wildlife Service to consider listing the species under the Endangered Species Act.

Federal Register :: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Golden-Winged Warbler as Endangered or Threatened 

Current Projects
 
In collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service as well as scientists at academic institutions, the USGS has conducted research to help address information gaps pertaining to species status and trend and the drivers of its imperilment.
 
Climate change is likely to alter the breeding distribution and potential for hybridization between Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers, two genetically similar species which are now often found co-occurring. Occurrence data for each species was used to determine the climatically suitable conditions for each species under historical and future climate scenarios. A reduction in overlapping distributions for the two species is projected under all future climate scenarios examined reducing potential for hybridization.

Species Distributional Modeling and Spatial Patterns in Genetic Introgression: the Case of Golden-winged Warblers and Blue-winged Warblers

Media
Still image of a Golden-winged Warbler
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

 

 

Change in climatically suitable breeding distributions reduces hybridization potential between Vermivora warblers Change in climatically suitable breeding distributions reduces hybridization potential between Vermivora warblers

AimClimate change is affecting the distribution of species and subsequent biotic interactions, including hybridization potential. The imperiled Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA) competes and hybridizes with the Blue-winged Warbler (BWWA), which may threaten the persistence of GWWA due to introgression. We examined how climate change is likely to alter the breeding distributions and potential...
Authors
Jessica Hightower, Dolly Crawford, Wayne Thogmartin, Kyle Aldinger, Sara Barker Swarthout, David Buehler, John Confer, Christian Friis, Jeff Larkin, James Lowe, Martin Piorkowski, Ronald W. Rohrbaugh, Kenneth Rosenberg, Curtis Smalling, Petra Wood, Rachel Vallender, Amber Roth
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Dynamic distributions and population declines of Golden-winged Warblers Dynamic distributions and population declines of Golden-winged Warblers

With an estimated breeding population in 2010 of 383,000 pairs, the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is among the most vulnerable and steeply declining of North American passerines. This species also has exhibited among the most dynamic breeding distributions, with populations expanding and then contracting over the past 150 years in response to regional habitat changes...
Authors
Kenneth Rosenberg, Tom Will, David Buehler, Sara Barker Swarthout, Wayne Thogmartin, Ruth Bennett, Richard Chandler
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Bird Banding Laboratory

Modeling and mapping Golden-winged Warbler abundance to improve regional conservation strategies Modeling and mapping Golden-winged Warbler abundance to improve regional conservation strategies

Conservation planning requires identifying pertinent habitat factors and locating geographic locations where land management may improve habitat conditions for high priority species. I derived habitat models and mapped predicted abundance for the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera), a species of high conservation concern, using bird counts, environmental variables, and...
Authors
Wayne Thogmartin
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera), a small chickadee-like bird with a distinctive golden-colored cap and wing bars, is a species of considerable conservation concern in North America, primarily due to widespread population declines attributable to habitat loss and hybridization with the Blue-winged Warbler (V. cyanoptera) in areas of sympatry. Recent concerns extend to the effects of a changing climate on species distribution and spatial overlap with Blue-winged Warblers. Declines in the species have motivated the US Fish and Wildlife Service to consider listing the species under the Endangered Species Act.

Federal Register :: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Golden-Winged Warbler as Endangered or Threatened 

Current Projects
 
In collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service as well as scientists at academic institutions, the USGS has conducted research to help address information gaps pertaining to species status and trend and the drivers of its imperilment.
 
Climate change is likely to alter the breeding distribution and potential for hybridization between Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers, two genetically similar species which are now often found co-occurring. Occurrence data for each species was used to determine the climatically suitable conditions for each species under historical and future climate scenarios. A reduction in overlapping distributions for the two species is projected under all future climate scenarios examined reducing potential for hybridization.

Species Distributional Modeling and Spatial Patterns in Genetic Introgression: the Case of Golden-winged Warblers and Blue-winged Warblers

Media
Still image of a Golden-winged Warbler
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

 

 

Change in climatically suitable breeding distributions reduces hybridization potential between Vermivora warblers Change in climatically suitable breeding distributions reduces hybridization potential between Vermivora warblers

AimClimate change is affecting the distribution of species and subsequent biotic interactions, including hybridization potential. The imperiled Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA) competes and hybridizes with the Blue-winged Warbler (BWWA), which may threaten the persistence of GWWA due to introgression. We examined how climate change is likely to alter the breeding distributions and potential...
Authors
Jessica Hightower, Dolly Crawford, Wayne Thogmartin, Kyle Aldinger, Sara Barker Swarthout, David Buehler, John Confer, Christian Friis, Jeff Larkin, James Lowe, Martin Piorkowski, Ronald W. Rohrbaugh, Kenneth Rosenberg, Curtis Smalling, Petra Wood, Rachel Vallender, Amber Roth
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Dynamic distributions and population declines of Golden-winged Warblers Dynamic distributions and population declines of Golden-winged Warblers

With an estimated breeding population in 2010 of 383,000 pairs, the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is among the most vulnerable and steeply declining of North American passerines. This species also has exhibited among the most dynamic breeding distributions, with populations expanding and then contracting over the past 150 years in response to regional habitat changes...
Authors
Kenneth Rosenberg, Tom Will, David Buehler, Sara Barker Swarthout, Wayne Thogmartin, Ruth Bennett, Richard Chandler
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Bird Banding Laboratory

Modeling and mapping Golden-winged Warbler abundance to improve regional conservation strategies Modeling and mapping Golden-winged Warbler abundance to improve regional conservation strategies

Conservation planning requires identifying pertinent habitat factors and locating geographic locations where land management may improve habitat conditions for high priority species. I derived habitat models and mapped predicted abundance for the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera), a species of high conservation concern, using bird counts, environmental variables, and...
Authors
Wayne Thogmartin
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
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