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Platte River Status: A common migrant and common to locally abundant nesting species throughout the study area. Dates of occurrence at the Mormon Island Crane Meadows, Hall County, extend from 4 May to 26 August. Tout (1947) found yellow warbler a common migrant and nesting species in Lincoln County, present 3 May to 22 September. Yellow warbler is present in the lower North Platte River Valley 18 May to 4 August (Rosche 1979).

Breeding Range: A common to locally abundant and widely-distributed nesting species in the Platte River Valley and Eastern Plain; fairly common on the Western Plain and Dissected Plain; uncommon (locally fairly common) in the Sandhills.

Breeding Population: The population in 1979-1980 was estimated at 19,000 breeding pairs which made up 0.6% of the total bird numbers on the study area. Yellow warbler was the most abundant warbler nesting in the study area.

Habitat: We found the highest mean nesting density (74.7 pairs/km²) in shelterbelt, followed by river channel island (55.5 pairs/km²), lowland forest (22.0 pairs/km²), prairie wetland (7.5 pairs/km²), wet prairie (0.7 pairs/km²), residential (0.5 pairs/km²), upland prairie (0.2 pairs/km²), and corn (0.2 pairs/km²). Tout (1947) found yellow warbler most commonly in Lincoln County in willow growth associated with river channel islands, and in growths of prairie rose adjacent to stream channels. Rank deciduous brush and riparian woodlands supported the largest number of nesting yellow warblers in western Kansas (Rising 1974). Nesting yellow warbler in central North Dakota occupied emergent vegetation around natural basin wetlands, wet meadows, prairie thickets, shelterbelts, and low, wet areas of upland native prairie (Faanes 1982). Ficken and Ficken (1966) reported that largest nesting densities on their New York study area were associated with shrubby vegetation.

Effect of Habitat Alteration: The ubiquitous distribution of nesting habitat use among yellow warblers on the study area suggests that this species has benefited from the alteration of habitats brought on by de-watering of the Platte River system, and the subsequent encroachment of wooded vegetation in river channels. The extremely high level of use made of shelterbelts points to the positive benefits yellow warbler has derived from establishment of that artificial habitat in agricultural areas.

Nesting Data: We have eight nest records from the Mormon Island Crane Meadows, Hall County, during 30 May to 21 June. Mean clutch size among these nests was 4.3 eggs. Mean clutch size among 32 Lincoln County nests was 2.9 eggs during 20 May to 26 June. Morton (1957) reported a yellow warbler nest near Doniphan, Hall County on 26 June 1956. Extreme egg dates from North Dakota are 2-30 June. Kansas egg dates are from 11 May to 20 June (Johnsgard 1979).