All right. Nice guesses all around, people! I agree that this one is a toughie. The correct answer is Cape May warbler. And I believe the bird is a fall adult male.
The first thing you notice about this bird is the striped upper back and the bold white wing bars. Unfortunately the "clincher" field mark of a fall Cape May (the contrasting, lime-colored rump) is not visible. but the bold wing bars and the yellowish wash on the part of the face that's visible are great field marks for a fall adult Cape May. Some fall adult males still show a lot of the rufous in the face—but this one does not.
A Blackburnian warbler in fall does share the Cape May's white wing bars, but the Blackburnian's are bolder. Also a Blackburnian in fall would show pale or white lines (not streaking) along a blacker back.
A black-throated green warbler in fall has an unstreaked upper back.
Blackpoll warbler is another good guess. But I think the larger wing bar is too obvious for a fall blackpoll. And the bird is too yellowish overall, especially in the face.
Below are a few other Cape May warblers in various seasons.
A fall Cape May warbler showing the classic, clinching field mark: the contrasting lime rump
A fall Cape May warbler male. This bird is retaining hints of it breeding plumage coloration. Note the huge wing bar.
Breeding-plumaged Cape May warbler in spring.
Breeding-plumaged Cape May warbler in spring. Note the rufous face and the bold wing bar.
6 comments:
Isn't the proper term for the Cape May's field mark "lemon-lime badonkadonk?" A BOTB original.
fo'shizzle
I knew those bold wing bars had to be important, but I was confusing them with the "back pack straps" of a RT Hawk!
Had you shown the badonadonk, I would have gotten the right answer.
~Kathi, whose new approach to the bird quiz is to cheat off Ethan
It was the bold wing bars that led me astray; I was guessing immature female. Such an amateur!
DG
It was the bold wing bars that led me astray; I was guessing immature female. Such an amateur!
DG
I have no option except to cheat :o)
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