Can anyone identify this bird?
Mar 4, 2018 12:54:14 #
Mar 4, 2018 13:14:36 #
Hi Macbadger,
I’m not the best at identifying animal species, but I downloaded an app called “iNaturalist”; it is a pretty neat app that pulls and feeds to a database used to track species and their plants populations. Yo have to upload a picture of the animal and tell the app where you found the animal.
I’m not the best at identifying animal species, but I downloaded an app called “iNaturalist”; it is a pretty neat app that pulls and feeds to a database used to track species and their plants populations. Yo have to upload a picture of the animal and tell the app where you found the animal.
Mar 4, 2018 13:36:11 #
Mar 5, 2018 08:20:36 #
MJKilpatrick
Loc: Cape May, NJ
Hi Macbadger,
Rwilson1942 has pinned this one for you, its a Palm Warbler. In an effort to help with the ID of this bird in the future, here are some things that a viewer can use to point directly to the Palm Warbler. The first major characteristic is that brown colored crown.........not many birds have a crown that looks this way.......it would make one immediately think a sparrow, as such a colored crown shows in some sparrows, but the bill will immediately move one away from the sparrows. Sparrows have much thinker bills, you bird has a bill that is consistent with warblers. Once taking in account the bill size and shape, and then the brown crown, it points you to the Palm Warbler. I should note that the yellow under the throat and under the tail are also characteristics that would move away from a sparrow and move more to a warbler.
But your bird is interesting as there are two major races of Palm Warblers, one more biased to the East and one more biased to the West. You bird is Dendroica palmarum palmarum (please excuse the use of the latin/scientific name).......it is the Western sub-species. The Easter sub-species is Dendroica palmarum hypochrysea. The main characteristic that separates the two is that the Eastern sub-species shows much more yellow all through the front chest, flanks and to the under areas of the tail. The Western usually shows yellow only under the throat and down the front of chest (visual degree differs depending on age and molt), the rest of the front, flanks and belly to under the tail is white. If we look at your bird, it shows yellow just under the throat and white all through the rest of the frontal and flank area.........its fits the Western sub-species.
Ranges usually note the Western sub-species as being West of the Great Lakes and the Eastern sub-species East of the Great Lakes...........but as your photo proves, using such range definitions does not hold well unless the bird is on its breeding range. In Florida, as well as many other places during migration and wintering, Western species show in the East and Eastern species in the West though sighting data tends to suggest Western species are seen more the East than the reverse.......it has a lot to do with prevailing weather conditions and aspects of migratory paths to Southern wintering areas that bend more Western species to the East.....and Florida is one place with they cross paths often........the coastal migration route through Texas is another. Two examples of this we see in the East during fall is the Western subspecies of the Willet and the Western Sandpiper. Neither are seen on the East Coast during the spring migration or breeding season....... a part of both populations travel East during the Fall migration and some winter on the Southeastern US coast. So using range to a high degree of defining factor would more than likely throw someone off when encountering a Western Willet, a Western Sandpiper, or the Western sub-species of the Palm Warbler on the East Coast. We see mostly the Eastern sub-species of the Palm warbler in New Jersey but a fair number of the Western sub-species in Fall migration......not so much in the Western sub-species in the Spring migration.
Very neat bird....I like the side light look to it. Your bird is one that is considered common but it reminds us that even in the most common species there is much variation and aspect that makes it interesting and different. Keep your eyes out for the Eastern sub-species and you will have both races in your photo collection. Looks very much the same but swaps out the white down the front for yellow.
With My Best
Rwilson1942 has pinned this one for you, its a Palm Warbler. In an effort to help with the ID of this bird in the future, here are some things that a viewer can use to point directly to the Palm Warbler. The first major characteristic is that brown colored crown.........not many birds have a crown that looks this way.......it would make one immediately think a sparrow, as such a colored crown shows in some sparrows, but the bill will immediately move one away from the sparrows. Sparrows have much thinker bills, you bird has a bill that is consistent with warblers. Once taking in account the bill size and shape, and then the brown crown, it points you to the Palm Warbler. I should note that the yellow under the throat and under the tail are also characteristics that would move away from a sparrow and move more to a warbler.
But your bird is interesting as there are two major races of Palm Warblers, one more biased to the East and one more biased to the West. You bird is Dendroica palmarum palmarum (please excuse the use of the latin/scientific name).......it is the Western sub-species. The Easter sub-species is Dendroica palmarum hypochrysea. The main characteristic that separates the two is that the Eastern sub-species shows much more yellow all through the front chest, flanks and to the under areas of the tail. The Western usually shows yellow only under the throat and down the front of chest (visual degree differs depending on age and molt), the rest of the front, flanks and belly to under the tail is white. If we look at your bird, it shows yellow just under the throat and white all through the rest of the frontal and flank area.........its fits the Western sub-species.
Ranges usually note the Western sub-species as being West of the Great Lakes and the Eastern sub-species East of the Great Lakes...........but as your photo proves, using such range definitions does not hold well unless the bird is on its breeding range. In Florida, as well as many other places during migration and wintering, Western species show in the East and Eastern species in the West though sighting data tends to suggest Western species are seen more the East than the reverse.......it has a lot to do with prevailing weather conditions and aspects of migratory paths to Southern wintering areas that bend more Western species to the East.....and Florida is one place with they cross paths often........the coastal migration route through Texas is another. Two examples of this we see in the East during fall is the Western subspecies of the Willet and the Western Sandpiper. Neither are seen on the East Coast during the spring migration or breeding season....... a part of both populations travel East during the Fall migration and some winter on the Southeastern US coast. So using range to a high degree of defining factor would more than likely throw someone off when encountering a Western Willet, a Western Sandpiper, or the Western sub-species of the Palm Warbler on the East Coast. We see mostly the Eastern sub-species of the Palm warbler in New Jersey but a fair number of the Western sub-species in Fall migration......not so much in the Western sub-species in the Spring migration.
Very neat bird....I like the side light look to it. Your bird is one that is considered common but it reminds us that even in the most common species there is much variation and aspect that makes it interesting and different. Keep your eyes out for the Eastern sub-species and you will have both races in your photo collection. Looks very much the same but swaps out the white down the front for yellow.
With My Best
Mar 5, 2018 09:01:36 #
Thank you all for your help, especially MJ Kilpatrick for the incredibly detailed explanation that even I, as a novice, could understand. In going through my
audubon guide, I thought that the western palm warbler was the best match, but was unaware of the possible variation in range, given that Florida is so far east of the Mississippi.
audubon guide, I thought that the western palm warbler was the best match, but was unaware of the possible variation in range, given that Florida is so far east of the Mississippi.
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