Invasive shrub species as nest substrates do not appear to impact nest failure for Yellow Warblers (Setophaga petechia)

The Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) is a Neotropical migratory passerine that breeds in riparian and other wetland habitats across North America. Yellow Warblers use several woody plants as substrates to build nests on, including both native and invasive species. We monitored Yellow Warbler nests from 2018 to 2021 in east-central Illinois, USA, and observed similar numbers of nests in invasive and native plant substrates. We also documented qualitatively lower nest mortality for nests placed in invasive plants compared to native plants. The patterns documented here could suggest that for Yellow Warblers, invasive plant encroachment in riparian habitat may not have strong negative repercussions on their reproductive success.