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How to Recognize Six Warblers in Their Fall Feathers
Study the finer details of migrating warblers with our handy photo guide.
Editor's Note:听After learning about serious allegations against Jason Ward, the 香港六合开奖记录听has severed听its ties with him.
In autumn, the air听fills听with the groans of frustrated birders as they strain their听senses听to identify fall warbers.听During spring migration, warblers听announce their presence听with their vibrant plumages and songs, but in autumn, that all changes.听The bright, colorful feathers are replaced by dull brown听as the birds听molt into their non-breeding plumage. And because there's no reason to sing听for a mate, they're听much quieter, too.
As frustrating as IDing fall warblers can be, there听are some ways to make it easier for yourself.听Color听may seem important, but certain听markings and behaviors persist throughout the year. By familiarizing yourself with听their finer characteristics, you'll have less trouble distinguishing听non-descript warblers.
To get you started, here's a short guide to听six species that can be difficult to tell apart听in the fall. Hover over the dots on the photos to reveal the ID clues for each.
- Black streaking on the back
- Thin, bold, sharp wingbars
- Dark legs with pale orange-colored feet
During fall migration, Blackpoll Warblers follow an all-water route across the open ocean to reach their South American destinations. Look for them in the eastern United States, especially along the coast. Each year, a听few lost birds make an appearance听on the Pacific shoreline, too. The species usually hits peak migration in late September and early October.
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Bay-breasted听Warbler
- Light streaking on the back
- Thick wingbars
- Some birds keep the reddish wash on the flanks from breeding season
- Dark colored legs and feet
Compared to other warblers, Bay-breasteds get a late start in fall,听following听a relatively late arrival at their Canadian听breeding grounds听in June. Their southward migration takes them through the eastern half of the country. Once they land in听southern states, they听funnel into Central America, reaching Panama, Venezuela, and Colombia in November.听
- White or yellow eye arcs
- Yellow undertail feathers
While some Orange-crowned Warblers听winter in the southern United States, many also head to Mexico for the colder months. They听don't get much farther south than that, however.听The birds are more common out West, where they stagger their听migrations throughout the fall season. Sometimes they'll even tag along with flocks composed of other bird species.
Tennessee Warbler
- Pale 鈥渆ye brow鈥
- Sharp, dark eye line
- White undertail feathers
Tennessee Warblers are early birds when it comes to migration, leaving their summer homes by mid-August.听Most听follow routes east of the Rockies, though a few听may winter on the Pacific Coast. The species听barely spends any time in its namesake state.听
Nashville Warbler
- Gray head with yellow throat and chest
- Slim overall build
- Usually found foraging in trees
These warblers migrate through both sides of the county, converging听in and around Mexico for the winter. Older birds prefer traveling inland, while first-year birds hug coastal routes, usually from late August until听October. This is another species听that eschews its supposed home state.听
Connecticut Warbler
- Gray 鈥渉ooded鈥 appearance
- Stocky, heavy build
- Usually found foraging close to and on the ground
A true birding prize, the Connecticut Warbler is an Eastern specialty. Each autumn, it travels听down听the Atlantic shoreline to Florida, its most southern stop in the United States听before launching toward听the tropics. It's one of the earliest听warblers to migrate through in fall, and听some start as soon as mid-July. But be prepared to catch a few stragglers in early- and听mid-October, too.听听