Palm Warblers Are Migrating Now!

 

"Yellow" Palm Warbler, photographed in NH 

"Yellow" Palm Warbler

"Western" Palm Warbler, photographed in FL

Palm Warblers, one of the later migrating warblers in fall, are migrating through NH now and we had two in our yard yesterday. Here (as in these photos from NH) we see the "yellow" Palm Warblers (Setophaga palmarum hypochrysea) which have yellow breasts and are the eastern subspecies of Palm Warbler. They breed from central Quebec east. They winter along the Gulf Coast, from LA to northern FL. The "western" subspecies of Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum palmarum) breeds from Ontatio west, across to parts of the Yukon and ne. British Columbia and winters in the Southeast, down through south FL. Some may also winter on the West Coast. This subspecies has very little yellow on the breast but still has the bright yellow undertail coverts. There is a breeding zone south of James Bay where they intergrade. So this gives you some idea of why Palm Warblers may look different, depending on which area of the country you are in. For all the subspecies of birds, with photos, see our The New Stokes Field Guide to Birds, Eastern and Western Regions.