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Warbler Identification
Yellow-rumped Warblers, Townsend's Warblers, Orange-crowned
Warblers, and a treasure-trove of these beautiful birds.
One of the largest and most diverse of bird families, warblers are some
of the most striking birds you can find in nature. Ranging in color from
the brilliant yellow of the Wilson's Warbler and Townsend's Warbler, to
the sherbet-orange color of the Prothonotary Warbler and the dark blue
and black of the Black-throated Blue Warbler, this group of special birds
ranges all across the U.S. and make for some often challenging
identification.
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Once thought to be two distinct species - Audubon's Warbler in the west and the Myrtle
Warbler in the east - we now now that the Yellow-Rumped Warbler is a hybrid between
these two slightly different types of warbler. These little birds are striking to look
at. The give-away for identification is the
flash of bright yellow you'll see in the rump area of the bird as it flies off. We've
not observed these birds flocking together like Chickadees or Kinglets - in our garden,
it's common to see a mating pair of these birds hopping about the trees or bushes
near the birdfeeder, in amongst the sparrows and titmice. The Yellow-Rumped Warbler
does not frequently move south for the the winter like other birds, and likes to spend
its time up the north of the United States.
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Get to Know Your Warblers
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Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas | 4 ½" - 5 ¾"
Never was a bird so poorly named, for if you ever see this one, you will
agree there is nothing at all common about him. In point of fact, if you
know what this bird looks like, there is no chance of misidentifying him
because no other bird in North America even resembles him. Read Article »
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Townsend’s Warbler | Dendroica townsendi | 4 ¼" - 5"
This bird is extremely unique in appearance. Note that black chin and facial
stripe, with the little golden patch on the ‘cheek’, just below the eye.
And talk about color! In the gloaming of the forest, this bird first struck
me as almost orange in hue, the yellow was so vivid. Read Article »
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Wilson's Warbler | Wilsonia pusilla | 4 ½"
From the depths of the new leafy growth, we heard a series of rapid chchchchchchchchch
calls. Squinting, ducking, standing on our toes, we were suddenly rewarded with a
glimpse of a Wilson’s Warbler flitting amongst the branches. Read Article »
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Yellow Warbler | Dendroica petechia | 4 ½" - 5"
Sweet sweet sweet little more sweeeet. This unusual snippet of birdsong rang
a bell in my mind, and as we abandoned our picnic to locate the source of the song,
I managed to get my memories in order. And then we saw him. There in the brush, more
yellow than your symbolic idea of a canary, and with the faint striping on his
breast. Read Article »
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Yellow-rumped Warbler | Dendroica coronata | 4" - 5"
In general, the mature male shows more black both on the face and breast.
His throat is canary yellow - what a sight! This winter, I have become even
fonder of the Yellow-rumped Warbler, after many days of gazing at him. He
is as spry as a cricket and as cheery as a dear friend. Read Article »
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- Read the Latest News from the Birding Sonoma County Blog -
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Tomales Bay State Park Closure - One Upset Birder
January 22, 2008, Point Reyes, CA
Governor Schwarzenegger is planning to close our beautiful, sacred Tomales Bay State Park
in Marin County along with 42 other desperately-needed and exuberantly cherished state
parks throughout California. Closing all of these wonderful parks would not even take us
1% in the direction of being back in the black. And think of what will have been lost. Read Article »
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Bay Area Oil Spill A Disaster For Birds
November 11, 2007, Kenwood, CA
When the Cosco Busan crashed into the Bay Bridge, every birder I know immediately thought
of what this disaster would mean for the birds. In addition to our beloved birds, whales
will be swimming through the oil, as will seals, sea lions and other marine mammals. West
Marin is one of my favorite places on earth, and to see it thus spoiled fills me with
sorrow and anger. Read Article »
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Bewick's Wren - A hidden Bay Area bird worth seeking!
October 7, 2007, Glen Ellen, CA
Today, we'll turn our gaze on Bewick's Wren, Thryomanes bewickii, one of the larger
SF Bay Area Wrens. Bewick's Wren, like most wrens, will instantly strike you as being
'all-tail'. Identification clue number one for wrens is that they tend to hold their tails
up-turned, as if in proud of their lovely plumes. Read Article »
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The White-crowned Sparrow has returned!
September 24, 2007, Kenwood, CA
This trusty little bird disappeared when the weather heated up, early in the year, heading
north to cooler Canada. Just this afternoon, my husband called me to the window excitedly.
There, at the foot of the photinia hedge, a lone White-crowned Sparrow was hopping humbly
through the green grass. Read Article »
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