Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Home Research Hub dataZone Galapagos Species Database

Setophaga petechia aureola (Gould, 1839)

Reinita Amarilla, Canario María, Yellow Warbler, Mangrove Warbler

Yellow Warbler in San Cristóbal, Galapagos. Photo: CDF Archive.
Yellow Warbler in San Cristóbal, Galapagos. Photo: CDF Archive.

The only bright yellow bird with a bright, sweet song. Together with the population from the Coco islands, it is considered a sub-species (Setophaga petechia aureola) characterized by the brown-reddish cap on it’s head. Genetic divergence is low. Probably colonized the archipelago less than 300 000 yrs ago.

Threats As a mainly insectivorous species, it may be affected by pesticide use and it is affected by Plasmodium and by the parasitic fly Philornis downsi that may cause heavy chick mortality.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Chordata

Class
Aves

Order
Passeriformes

Family
Parulidae

Genus
Setophaga

Species
petechia

Subspecies
aureola

Taxon category: Species with Infraspecific Taxa

Syn.: Dendroica petechia aureola (Gould, 1839); Sylvicola aureola Gould, 1841; Dendroica aureola Ridgway, 1890; Dendroica petechia Linnaeus, 1766; Dendroica petechia galapagoensis Sundevall 1869.

Origin: Endemic

Status

Least concern

Ecology

Feeding type: Insectivorous

Feeding preferences: Feeds on arthropods foraged on the ground or, in the intertidal zone, on invertebrates. May also, very occasionally, eat fruits. Common visitor to flowers and potential pollen vector. Loves to steal sugar in coffee places in town!

Trophic role: Carnivorous

Reproductive biology: Nests in the warm season from December to May. Cup nests in trees with 2 to 3 eggs.

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Present on all Islands from the shoreline up to the highest points.

References

  • Wiedenfeld, D.A. (2006) Aves, the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Check List 2006 2(2): 1-27.
  • Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G. Milstead, B., Márquez, C., Zabala, J., Buitrón, P., Llerena, A., et al. (2007) Galapagos vertebrates: endangered status and conservation actions. Galapagos Report 2006–2007. Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, p. 104–110.
  • Harris, M.P. (1973) The Galápagos avifauna. Condor 75(3): 265-278.
  • Salvin, O. (1876) On the avifauna of the Galápagos Archipelago. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 9: 447-510.
  • Sundevall, C.J. (1871) On birds from the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1871: 124-129.
  • Castro, I. Phillips, A. (1996) A Guide to the Birds of the Galapagos Islands. Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd., London.
  • Fessl, B. Tebbich, S. (2002) Philornis downsi - a recently discovered parasite on the Galápagos archipelago - a threat to Darwin's finches? Ibis 144: 445-451.
  • Thiel, T. Whiteman, N.K., Tirapé, A., Baquero, M. I., Cedeño, V., Walsh, T., Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G. & Parker, P.G. (2005) Characterization of canary pox-like viruses infecting endemic birds in the Galapagos Islands. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 41(2): 342-353.
  • Swarth, H.S. (1931) The Avifauna of the Galapagos Islands. Occ. Pap. Calif. Acad. Sci. 18: 1-299.
  • Fessl, B. Couri, M.S. & Tebbich, S. (2001) Philornis downsi Dodge & Aitken, new to the Galapagos Islands (Diptera, Muscidae). Studia Dipterologic 8: 317-322.
  • Kleindorfer, S. Dudaniec, R.Y. (2006) Increasing prevalence of avian poxvirus in Darwin’s finches and its effect on male pairing success. Journal of Avian Biology 37: 69-76.
  • Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G. Betancourt, F. (2008) Avifauna vs automotores. Informe Galápagos 2007-2008. FCD, PNG & INGALA. Puerto Ayora, Ecuador. p. 111–114.
  • Hickin, N. (1979) Animal life of the Galapagos. Ferundune Books, Faringdon, U.K., 236 pp.
  • Alatalo, R. V. (1982) Bird Species Distributions in the Galapagos, Ecuador, and Other Archipelagoes: Competition Or Chance?. Ecology 63 (4): 881-887
  • Chaves, J.A. Parker, P. G., Smith, T.B. (2012) Origin and population history of a recent colonizer, the yellow warbler in Galapagos and Cocos Islands J . Evol. Biol. 25: 509-521
  • Browne, R. Collins, E. & Anderson, D. (2008) Genetic structure of Galapagos populations of the Yellow Warbler. The Condor 110:549-553
  • Guerrero, A. Tye, A. (2011) Native and introduced birds of Galapagos as dispersers of native and introduced plants. Ornitología Neotropical 22:207-217.
  • Levin, I.I. Zwiers, P., Deem, S., Geest, E., Higashiguchi, J., Jimenez-Uzcategui, G., Kim, D., Morton, J., Perlut, N., Iezhova, T., Jime, G., Renfrew, R., Sari, E., Valkiunas, G. & Parker, P. (2013) Multiple Lineages of Avian Malaria Parasites (Plasmodium) in the Galapagos Islands and Evidence for Arrival via Migratory Birds. Conservation Biology doi 10.1111/cobi.12127.
  • Freile, J.F. Santander, T., Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G., Carrasco, L., Cisneros-Heredia, D., Guevara, E., Sánchez-Nivicela, M., Tinoco, B. (2019) Lista Roja de las aves del Ecuador Quito, Ecuador. 97 pp.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Setophaga petechia aureola", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=17494. Accessed 26 March 2025.