Yellow-rumped Warblers in Virginia
When yellow-rumped warblers are present in Virginia, when they nest, which native Virginia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5b–8a yard.
- Status in Virginia
- Winter visitor
- Nesting window
- Does not typically nest here
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5b–8a
When to expect yellow-rumped warblers in Virginia
In Virginia, yellow-rumped warblers are winter visitors rather than breeders. Moderate winters with periodic snow; purple finches and occasional northern finches visit feeders. While here they rely on bayberry, wax myrtle and juniper fruit.
Humid subtropical in the east, cooler and snowier in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny highlands.
Native Virginia plants that attract yellow-rumped warblers
Of the regional native plants we track for Virginia, these 8 provide food or cover yellow-rumped warblers use:
Fall fruit.
High-fat red berries and caterpillar host.
Winter fruit.
Nectar and small fruit.
Winter cover.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Feeding yellow-rumped warblers through the Virginia year
The warbler most likely at a winter feeder; suet and wax myrtle bring them in.
- Best foods: Suet, Hulled sunflower.
- In Virginia's winter: Moderate winters with periodic snow; purple finches and occasional northern finches visit feeders.
Full diet breakdown for yellow-rumped warblers · Best feeder for yellow-rumped warblers
Frequently asked
Are yellow-rumped warblers in Virginia year-round?
No. Yellow-rumped Warblers are winter visitors in Virginia and do not typically nest there.
What native plants attract yellow-rumped warblers in Virginia?
Flowering dogwood, Spicebush, Winterberry, Trumpet honeysuckle, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac are native plants in Virginia that provide food or cover for yellow-rumped warblers.
Yellow-rumped Warblers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Virginia
Sources
- Yellow-rumped Warbler — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Yellow-rumped Warbler life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Yellow-rumped Warbler — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Virginia
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.