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44-47 OB Vol 25 #1 Apr2007.Pdf OFO OntBirdsv 5/spr07 9/15/08 4:47 PM Page 44 44 PHOTO QUIZ Sponsored by Nikon Canada Glenn Coady ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 2007 OFO OntBirdsv 5/spr07 9/15/08 4:47 PM Page 45 45 FOR THIS PHOTO QUIZ, we are thrush, Louisiana Waterthrush and dealing with a small passerine that we Ovenbird. see fairly well. It is probably fair to say Two very important considerations that most birders, on first glance, when identifying warblers are very would quickly realize they were look- well seen in the view that we have here: ing at either a wood-warbler or similar colour and pattern of the undertail appearing vireo. and undertail coverts; and extent of We are afforded a nice look at the tail projection beyond the undertail bill, and it is clear that this bird lacks coverts. This will be very useful in nar- the thick, hooked tip to the bill that rowing down our list of candidates. we would expect to see if this bird was Note that our quiz bird has a white a vireo. Having quickly ruled out any belly, and undertail coverts, and an of the vireos, we therefore know we are undertail that is centrally white with dealing with one of the 44 species of darker corners. This easily observed wood-warblers on the Ontario check- combination of features allows us to list. eliminate a large number of Ontario Looking at the leaves in the field of wood-warblers from further consider- view, their advanced state of growth ation, including: those that have yel- suggests this is likely not a spring mig- low undertail coverts (Common Yel- rant. The amount of leaf damage from lowthroat, Wilson’s Warbler, Hooded insects point to this being a summer Warbler, Mourning Warbler, MacGil- photo, suggesting our bird is either a livray’s Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, summer resident or a fall migrant. The Kentucky Warbler, Nashville Warbler, fairly drab, yellow-olive plumage sug- Virginia’s Warbler, Orange-crowned gests it is one of a number of our simi- Warbler, Yellow Warbler, PalmWarbler larly plumaged fall migrants that bring and Prairie Warbler); those that have a beginning birders despair as a suite of uniformly dark, unpatterned undertail birds disdainfully regarded as “confus- beyond the coverts (Canada Warbler, ing fall warblers”. Orange-crowned Warbler, Nashville The bird is clearly not a Yellow- Warbler, Virginia’s Warbler, Ken- breasted Chat, lacking its large size, tucky Warbler, Mourning Warbler, heavy and thick bill and long tail. Its MacGillivray’s Warbler, Connecticut lack of prominent streaking on the Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Worm- breast, belly or flanks, rules out Black- eating Warbler and Swainson’s Warb- and-white Warbler, Northern Water- ler); those that have patterned under- VOLUME 25 NUMBER 1 OFO OntBirdsv 5/spr07 9/15/08 4:47 PM Page 46 46 tail coverts (Painted Redstart); those Black-throated Blue Warbler and Ten- with strikingly patterned bi-coloured nessee Warbler. Our bird does not tails (Magnolia Warbler and American have any strong contrast between the Redstart); those with a strong contrast throat and the rest of the head, ruling between the colour of the belly and out both Yellow-rumped Warbler and flanks versus the undertail coverts Kirtland’s Warbler in all plumages. Its (Canada Warbler, Blue-winged War- lack of a yellow mandible rules out bler and Prothonotary Warbler); and Northern Parula. It lacks the grayish those with exceptionally short tails side to the head, white eye-ring and (Cerulean Warbler). yellowish wing-bars of Chestnut-sided Our bird also lacks the strong facial Warbler. Unlike this bird, Cape May pattern found in all plumages of Gol- Warbler shows extensive ventral strea- den-winged Warbler, Black-throated king in all plumages. In summary, all Gray Warbler, Black-throated Green other Ontario warblers are quite easily Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler and ruled out except for a group of three Blackburnian Warbler. Its head is not a abundant warbler species often mis- bright enough yellow for any plumage taken for each other in fall: Pine War- of Hermit Warbler. It has very obvious bler, Bay-breasted Warbler and Black- white wing-bars, which rules out poll Warbler. Pine Warbler is easily ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 2007 OFO OntBirdsv 5/spr07 9/15/08 4:47 PM Page 47 47 separated from the other two by its shows immaculate white undertail unstreaked upperparts, as all plumages coverts (occasionally, some show a of both Blackpoll Warbler and Bay- very light yellow wash). Bay-breasted breasted Warbler show streaked backs. Warblers show dark legs, whereas fall Unfortunately, we have an inadequate Blackpoll Warblers have legs that are view of the back to make this distinc- yellow posteriorly, with decidedly yel- tion useful. Fortunately, we have an lowish soles to the feet. Bay-breasted exceptional view of another useful Warbler usually lacks streaking about character for analysis. Pine Warbler the breast, whereas all plumages of has short undertail coverts and very Blackpoll Warbler tend to show some long tail projection beyond the under- (often blurry) streaking at the sides of tail coverts, whereas both Bay-breasted the breast. Bay-breasted Warbler often Warbler and Blackpoll Warbler have lacks, or has a very indistinct, trans- very long undertail coverts that leave ocular line, whereas Blackpoll Warbler them both with very short tail projec- in all plumages has a very distinct tion beyond the coverts. Our quiz bird trans-ocular line. clearly shows the latter pattern, allow- In our photo, we can clearly see ing us to rule out Pine Warbler. that our quiz bird has immaculate We are thus left with a choice bet- white undertail coverts, has some blur- ween Blackpoll Warbler and Bay- ry dark streaking about the breast, has breasted Warbler, one of the most pale yellowish posterior colour up the common fall warbler misidentification back of the legs, and shows brighter problems for Ontario observers, par- yellow soles to the feet. It shows quite ticularly with very similar first fall a distinct trans-ocular line, particular- females. Most Bay-breasted Warblers ly behind the eye. All of these features in fall show a distinctive bay-coloured are consistently more in keeping with flank patch, making separation from the identification of this bird as a Blackpoll Warbler simple. However, Blackpoll Warbler. many first fall Bay-breasted Warblers This Blackpoll Warbler was pho- lack any bay colour in the flanks, thus tographed on 9 September 2006 at leaving that feature unreliable for sep- Point Pelee National Park, by Tadao arating the two species. There are a (Ted) Shimba. few features that we can see here which provide more reliable separation of the Glenn Coady, 604 – 60 Mountview Avenue, two species. Bay-breasted Warbler Toronto, Ontario M6P 2L4 usually shows a distinct cream or yel- low wash to the undertail coverts, whereas Blackpoll Warbler usually VOLUME 25 NUMBER 1.
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