Death of a Songbird (21 page)

W
OOD
W
ARBLERS

Family: Emberizidae

Subfamily: Parulidae

APPEARANCE
: Referred to as the butterflies of the bird world, warblers are small, often brightly colored birds with slender, pointed bills. Smaller than a sparrow (except for the chat), a warbler’s average size is around 5 inches in length. The majority have some yellow in them.

RANGE
: Warblers range from Alaska and Canada to northern Argentina, with the designations of many of the individual species offering clues to either their appearance or likely location (for example, the palm warbler is found in Florida palm trees; the Cape May warbler near Cape May, New Jersey; etc).

HABITAT
: Depending on the species, wood warblers live in a variety of habitat, ranging from willow thickets to the tops of the tallest conifer. Some frequent the forest floors, others inhabit the reeds and brushy stream sides, and others live in the twigs and branches of treetops.

SONG
: For most, the warbler’s warbling is hardly worthy of the name. They tend to be poor, if somewhat persistent singers. Most have weak voices. There is one exception: the yellow-breasted chat. Blessed with a beautiful, flutelike song, it often sings in the middle of the night.

BEHAVIORS
: Wood warblers are extremely territorial, defending their turf with thin, wiry songs. They build cup-shaped nests in the fork of a tree branch and lay three to six eggs. Warblers dart and flit, in seemingly perpetual motion, feeding on insects, caterpillars, bark beetles, and similar creatures.

RELATIONSHIP TO MAN
: Humanity owes a debt to small birds such as the warbler, for they are among the world’s largest destroyers of insects and related pests. Although warblers account for over 100 species of insect-eating birds, it’s become increasingly clear that the ongoing destruction of wintering ground poses a serious danger to the population stability of these birds. The numbers of migrating songbirds in the United States is declining, in large part due to the destruction of habitat in Mexico and Central and South America. In recent years, many of the warblers have been added to the endangered species watch lists, and several hover on the brink of extinction.

The Migratory Bird Conservancy
is the only program devoted exclusively to conserving habitat for birds in the Western Hemisphere. Founded in 1999, the Migratory Bird Conservancy was created by birding businesses who make binoculars, feeders, and other equipment, and who package and sell seed and other wild bird foods. Their goal—to protect important bird habitats in North and South America.

For every $1 contributed to the Migratory Bird Conservancy, more than $4 in on-the-ground habitat conservation is accomplished through federal funds and matching grants. A steering committee makes funding recommendations to the foundation, and administrative costs are paid solely by interest generated by the fund, or special donation. Which means every dollar donated goes to help conserve habitat.

Take Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, located in Socorro, New Mexico. It is one of the hottest birding and wildlife-watching sites in North America. Each fall, tens of thousands of snow geese, sandhill cranes, and dozens of other species stop at this site. Bosque del Apache is an important habitat link for migratory birds that nest in the U.S. and Canada and travel to Mexico and southern points for the winter. And, in addition to the birds, Bosque del Apache attracts more than 17,000 annual visitors.

However, a silent invader threatens this critical refuge. Creeping in from the edges is saltcedar, an invasive, exotic tree that destroys the wildlife values of western wetlands. Saltcedar can be controlled, but it’s costly and time consuming. With the award from the Migratory Bird Conservancy, two hundred acres of valuable wetlands will be restored.

To date, the Migratory Bird Conservancy has helped protect and improve habitats in famous birding sites such as Cape May, New Jersey, New River State Park in North Carolina, and Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. But the need is great, and your participation is needed. By making a tax-deductible contribution to the Migratory Bird Conservancy today, you can help keep the future bright for our birds!

Benefits of Contributing to the Migratory Bird Conservancy:

• tax-deductible contributions
  

• no administrative costs—every penny protects bird habitat!
  

• minimum 4:1 leverage for every $1 contributed
  

Visit the Migratory Bird Conservancy Website at
www.conservebirds.org
for more information! And please support the companies listed on the Website that support the Migratory Bird Conservancy. Every time you purchase their products, you support bird conservation.

Chris Goff is the
award-winning author of five environmental novels. The bestselling Birdwatcher’s Mystery series was nominated for two WILLA Literary Awards, a Colorado Author’s League Award, and published in the UK and Japan. The sixth installment in the series, A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS, will be launching in September 2015.

Death of a Songbird
posed a different set of challenges than my first book, so a special thank-you needs to go to all the people who kept me honest.

To Janet Grill, a fellow writer, dear friend, and the best plotting partner a girl ever had; Janet Chapman, who dragged me off to several writing conferences and forced me to dig deeper; and Anne McHugh, who threw the party that helped put me on the local bestseller list—thank you. To the RMFW critique group that faithfully meets twice a month at Marie Callender's: Gwen Schuster Haynes, Suzanne Proulx, Louise Woodward, Janice Ford, Diane West, Janene McCrillis, Mary McPhee, Bob Strange, and David Jones; the MWA support group that meets the third Wednesday: Georgeanne and Steve Nelson, Barb and Leslie Stephens, Stephanie and John Kane, Christine Jorgensen, and Carol Caverley; and Liz Hill, Alice Kober, and Peggy Waide—you kept me smiling while you worked my tush off.

I also would like to acknowledge Scott Roederer, Rhonda Woodward, Father Tom, Margaret Harmon and all the other birders who attended the American Birding Association and Colorado Field Ornithologists conventions in Colorado. Your patience in helping me learn new skills, spot new birds, and your invaluable suggestions were greatly appreciated.

To my new publisher, Astor + Blue Editions, thank you for your commitment to keeping the stories of the EPOCH (Elk Park Ornithological Chapter) members circulating. I can think of no better partners than A + B and my new editor, Jillian Ports, to help me navigate the new waters of today's publishing world.

And, finally, a special thanks to my agent Peter Rubie for his unwavering support; Georgie Nelson, for her dynamite web design; and my family, for putting up with late dinners.

Read all of the
Birdwatcher’s Mystery
Series by Christine Goff, published by Astor + Blue Editions:

*A Rant of Ravens

*Death of a Songbird

*A Nest in the Ashes

*Death Takes a Gander

*A Sacrifice of Buntings

www.astorandblue.com