More Fall Warblers

Black-throated Green Warbler, spring adult male

Black-throated Green Warbler, fall

Black-throated Green Warbler, fall

Black-throated Green Warbler, fall immature female

Speaking of warblers, at the end of yesterday I photographed a Black-throated Green Warbler (middle two photos) who was moving in some shrubs behind our bird feeders. Bird feeders not only attract bird-feeder birds, but you often get curious migrants coming over to check out what the bird activity is all about.

Note there is not much black throat on this "Black-throated Green" Warbler at this time of year and compare to the top photo of an adult male, Black-throated Green Warbler in spring. The facial pattern of this bird is duller, with a less discernable dark line through the eye, and less dark at the edge of the yellow below the eye.

Many warblers molt and have more subtle variations of their bright, spring breeding plumage in fall. In general, adult males in fall have the brightest fall plumage (although duller than their breeding plumage) and immature females have the most subtle colors. Adult females and immature males have plumage that is somewhere between those two and often it is hard to tell adult females and immature males apart in fall.

This information is useful to know if you are trying to ID warblers in fall. For more details and photos see our Stokes Field Guide To Warblers.