Warbler Guy, was 2015 a successful breeding season in Wisconsin for the endangered Kirtland's Warbler? Where does the Kirtland's Warbler breed in WI?

Jerry, there's a wonderful news release at the following web site link (next paragraph) that highlights the successful breeding of Kirtland's Warbler during the past 2015 nesting season in Wisconsin.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/kirtland-s-warbler-has-its-most-successful-wisconsin-breeding-season/article_71e182d2-d743-5964-9d5c-081197fc8c98.html

Wow, time migrates quickly, given:

It's amazing for eight straight breeding seasons the federally endangered Kirtland's Warbler how bred successfully in the Badger State.

Of course, the largest number of newborn Kirtland's occur annually in Michigan (more than 1,000 males are present annually in Michigan during the breeding season).

There's also one ongoing, annual Kirkland's nesting site in Ontario (see graphic/figure, below).

Warbler Guy: Which wood-warbler species' utilize non-breeding season habitat in the tropics that includes "shade grown" coffee farms? In theory, is it correct that changing coffee drinking patterns favoring "shade grown" coffee could benefit songbirds such as wood-warblers?

The brief answer, Jeremiah (in Rockford, IL)

is to note that several wood-warbler species likely

benefit from changed coffee farming methods that

favor “shade-grown” coffee, including Canada, Wilson's, Black-throated Green, and Cerulean Warbler. Cerulean populations, in specific, have dropped precipitously, perhaps in part due to habitat destruction of their "wintering" grounds (per Breeding Bird Survey trends and results suggested by other monitoring efforts).

To learn more (go to the ShadeCoffee.org web site) and/or see the following two links:

http:nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi.migratorybirds/coffee

(For a nice overview of a blog site article related to the benefits of using "shade grown" coffee as your morning delight choice, please see: http://naturallyavian.blogspot.com)

http://www.fws.gov/birds/documents/LR-CoffeeBirds.pdf

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:Q-jkmF-HQo0J:www.birdsandbeans.com/FactSheetonMigratoryBirdsinShadeCoffeePlantations.pdf+wood-warbler+coffee&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgo8sf7YWBtzwF50tIobylT4yhhqTVHtvs4vE3ujvWkY7ojYEkbcXcnMcV1NnuG-Us4KwjijFJPnZHbMZr4IsoYcLk7vXHs4RjZYBe-hbao2RUJv5QcEXLoT6Cpy7V5uxSW8Eh0&sig=AHIEtbR537Bc4GGn3274ZYuQ-eVv6Rs0zg

Warbler Guy: Did nesting Kirtland's Warbler in Wisconsin occur again in 2015? Wisconsin Kirtland's Warbler nesting occurs annually in Wisconsin?

Gail:

Yes and yes...and more 2015 details appear below with a summary from the WI DNR's web site:

Kirtland’s Warbler Monitoring Summary

Three banded nestlings, Adams County. Photo courtesy of Sarah Warner (USFWS).

Summary Highlights

• 15 males and 14 females were confirmed in Adams County, 3 males and 2 females in Marinette County, 3 males in Bayfield County


• 15 nesting attempts were made by 14 pairs in Adams County, 1 nesting attempt by 1 pair in Marinette County


• 8 of the 15 Adams County males had been banded in previous years; 1 of those was banded as a nestling 2014


• 3 of the 14 Adams County females had been banded in previous years


• 16 nests: 15 in Adams County, 1 in Marinette County


• 13 nests were successful: 12 in Adams County, 1 in Marinette County


• 36-53 young fledged: 34-51 in Adams County, 2 in Marinette County

Warbler Guy, are there any New World warblers that occur in their own family and where shall I look?

The Olive Warbler, Peucedramus taeniatus , is a small passerine bird. It is the only member of the genus Peucedramus and the family Peucedramidae.                      

Answers: Latest Fab Four Warbler Photo Quiz From 9/10/15 Post (right side column here)

Here's the answer for those folks who voted at the latest quiz (right side column referring
to the 9/10/15 photo quiz that you can see by scrolling down to that date where the four photos appear).

*

From top to bottom photo, the images are these wood-warbler species (that I am lucky to see
while birding in WI, (and, to "impress" birders that I guide on a tour the songs of these species are some of the more easier ones to distinguish in the Parulidae/wood-warbler family):

Pine
Prothonotary
Worm-eating
Yellow-breasted Chat (in weird light, I agree: Its breast looks orange and NOT yellow!)

Warbler Guy, where can I read about nesting warblers? Get warbler information? Learn about warbler migration for each warbler species; Identify mystery warblers by reading about them?

Syd, you cannot go wrong by visiting:
1.
http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/

This site features a comprehensive list of more than 720 North American species, with all of this area's Parulidae (warbler family) members present.

Yes, it costs money: $42 per year or $100 for three years.

Thumbs up. Way up. 

2. The Warbler Guide (2012, Tom Stephenson & Scott Whittle, Princeton University Press)

Comprehensive. A-1. Look on Amazon or many blog site that review this excellent field guide.

Email me with any warbler questions, of course, as I read this guide regularly....and I'm glad to answer your warbler questions:  danieledelstein@ att.net

warblerwatch.com (Feel free to see my "Warbler Tips ID Charts" at my Birding Links area at my home page.)

Is it possible to distinguish the call notes of Audubon’s vs. Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler during the non-breeding season where they occur together?

Answer:

Seeing is believing when identifying (patiently!) an Audubon’s vs. Myrtle Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

But sometimes you only hear an obvious Yellow-rumped Warbler chip note.

At least I do.

Then, the Mind Game is to ask myself: Is that an Audubon’s or Myrtle subspecies within the species of Yellow-rumped?

Difficult decision (!)

And consider your antenna first-rate, premium, high-octane — if you can tell the difference between these two call notes and confidently exclaim: “That’s an Audubon’s” (Or “Eureka, trust me: that’s a Myrtle chip note.”

(Above: An Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler subspecies (in breeding plumage) appears in the top photo. A non-breeding view of a Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler subspecies is below the Audubons'.)

*

Why do you need to tell one chip note vs. the other to know if it’s an Audubon’s vs. a Myrtle?

Because, of course, most Yellow-rumpeds are NOT singing during the non-breeding season, but you do often hear their loud chip or call notes from October – April when they’re in my area (San Francisco Bay Area where I am a Birding Guide in Marin County).

In many cases you can hear how the Myrtle (one of the subspecies of the Yellow-rumped Warbler species) has a flatter and softer chip note than the Audubon’s.

The “ch” component of the call note is weaker for the Myrtle and it often gives many calls in rapid succession.

However, be careful. Intergrades (individuals that display visual characteristics specific to both Audubon’s and Myrtle) may announce call notes of the other subspecies. In other words, it’s possible to see a bird that looks like an Audubon’s, but it’s call note sounds like a Myrtle. This individual could likely be an intergrade.

Of course, once you hear a Yellow-rumped chip note, go find it.

Then you can truly tell the difference in the two subspecies by their appearance: In general, the Myrtle male is told by its white throat that wraps farther around toward the back of the head/nape....while the Audubon’s male has a yellow throat. Note the Myrtle often also displays a slight white supercilium or eyebrow at the front of the head, whereas the Audubon’s head is plain and gray throughout.

Questions? Let the Warbler Guy know, please: danieledelstein@att.net

My web site for warbler questions, warbler information, warbler quizzes: http://warblerwatch.blogspot.com

My bird guiding in California and birding tours in California information: warblerwatch.com via the Birding Tours button at the home page.

Any suggestions for warbler identification tips, Warbler Guy? I know that's general to ask, but identification of warblers is simply challenging #@%#!

I'll be glad to share tips....Let me do so more extensively soon, but for now, please note:
(Graphic, below, courtesy of TheWarblerGuide.com, via Univ. of Princeton Press that published the amazing and worthwhile-to-purchase: "The Warbler Guide." Thumbs up.)

Warbler Tips Identification Chart

Not sure of a wood-warber's identification?

It looks similar to another species?

Feel free to see my "Warbler Tips Identification" Chart that appears as a button at my Web site:

www.warblerwatch.com

What happens to vagrant warblers at Point Reyes and other migrant traps that jut southward into the open Pacific? Do most of them manage to redirect themselves back to the coast and make their way south in the morning? Or does their misorientation lead many of them to a watery death far out at sea, unless they should choose to winter on the mainland?

Good question, Joshua, as now is the prime time to see vagrant (accidental arrival) warblers at the Outer Point within Pt. Reyes National Seashore, Marin Co., CA.

Given this is a venue to which I often guide birders that enjoy a foray with me, the best time to see vagrants is now and through October. (The typical range of seeing so-called East Coast & Midwestern warblers out of range and as vagrants on the West Coast at the Outer Point is, generally, August - October (though the peak weeks tend to be mid-September through mid-October, varying by year).

In any event, to answer the gentleman's question from above....

I bow to several resources as evidence for the answer:

The majority of warblers meet a sad fate after you see them at the Outer Point area:
Neverland is their destiny, given they often keep flying over the ocean.
Their R.I.P. epitaph is simply a tuckered and tired path to oblivion. Sad, as I wrote.

Rich Stallcup, bless our passed ornithological mentor and bellweather pioneer in myriad ways,
often posited the above note about the sad death of warblers after they hang out temporarily at the Outer Point (most noticeably amid Monterey Cypress trees that offer shelter and food resources amid the dairy/ag farms dominating the Outer Point landscape).

More details to follow, if you wish to check back.

Meanwhile, it's birding in WI today: the goal is migrating warblers, of course....but, also, a change of taxon: Nelson's Sparrow has been hanging out at Lake Barney near Madison, so I'm a sleuth with some friends. Wish us luck on our foray.

Regards, Daniel

warblerwatch.com

Warbler Photo Quiz: 3 Easy Ones & 1 More Challenging Photo. . .

. . . & good day. . . & who wishes to vote on the ID of the following four wood-warbler photos, BELOW?

(See right column where you can vote far into 2016, so feel free to please Share & Tell this quiz with your birding friends....Thank you in advance, Daniel Edelstein, Birding Guide
warblerwatch.com)

(Other photo quizzes are present here if you type "quiz" in the "search box" on the right side after scrolling down....or you can type in any other warbler topic of interest to find it among the 8 years of warbler content present here.)

(Photos courtesy of Martin Meyers.)

Warbler Guy, how do I volunteer to learn more about birds? -- and, for example, better know how to ID warblers? (i.e., I find warbler ID a major challenge in my life. Please help me!)

Thanks, Ally...(in Tacoma, WA):

An option you might wish to consider (?):

Find a breeding bird survey to do with a friend that's involved with the development a new or updated breeding bird atlas for a region or state where you live.

For example, there's hundreds of volunteers currently conducting a five-year breeding bird survey in Wisconsin. They just finished the first year of a five-year nesting season monitoring effort.

See: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/endangeredresources/birdatlas.html

Now imagine next spring, 2016.

You've signed on as a co-helper with a birding friend for new atlas or new atlas edition in your area.

Then, imagine, how your warbler sightings and monitoring efforts could result in new confirmation of nest sites, for example.

This kind of scenario is happening in northern Wisconsin. There, the Tennessee Warbler (TNWA), was merely suggested as a "probable" nester in some counties where suitable habitat for this northerly-breeding warbler occurs.

Now, there's a chance for one or more monitors to confirm TNWA as a state breeder.

Cool, no? (More to read below the following graphic.)

So, feel free to scour the web for your own area's atlas effort....or, if you're really savvy, begin your own atlas with the help of several other volunteers*.

{* = It's obviously a major, Herculean effort to coordinate an atlas along with the dozens of volunteers in the field, in addition to the writers and editors of accounts for each species (as well as the ecology of an area that often serves as introductory chapters in an atlas (e.g., The Santa Clara County "Breeding Bird Atlas of Santa Clara County" is amazing with its natural history information for that Bay Area county, and, in many cases, information that is applicable throughout the seven-county SF Bay Area.).

Another notable aspect of the new Wisconsin atlas effort: A state-of-the-art ebird system is excellent for volunteers to record their sightings online.

Here's a summary for a volunteer recruitment flyer related to the WI breeding bird atlas II (that, I surmise, will be published in or around 2020:

Over the course of the next five years, volunteers will observe bird behavior and report data online. Volunteering is easy! Participants sign up to observe birds near their homes, favorite birding spots and atlas priority blocks and report their observations online using a state-of-the-art system developed by eBird.

Warbler Guy, which warbler do you think is the most common one to see during fall warbler migration on the West Coast? On the East Coast during migration of warblers, which one is common to see?

Interesting question, Josie (in Cincinnati).

Yes, my answer that follows suggests one likely warbler species you'll see on both the Left & Right Coast, (but read farther down the page after the "XX" symbol to learn more qualified details):

1. On the West Coast in n. California where I live in the SF Bay Area, it's typical to see a heavy influx of transient Yellow Warbler individuals from mid-August through as late as mid-October.

An excellent spot to see them near where I live in Novato (Marin Co.) is the San Rafael-based Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds. (To find this birding venue, see:

https://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=XFA043-047

and

http://www.lgvsd.org/wp-content/uploads/LGVSD-pond-poster.pdf

2. As for the East Coast (and the Midwest), Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle subspecies) is an easy answer to your question because it's the most common warbler in the fall to see AFTER the initial wave of earlier migrating warblers passes through much of the lower and upper Midwest and New England, mid-Atlantic, and southeast USA.

Moreover, by September in most of these aforementioned places, this amazingly prolific warbler species is ubiquitous.

Able to feed within every portion of a tree's profile (and, thus, in technical terms, able to exploit many micro-habitats via "resource partitioning), this warbler in the fall may challenge the patience of querying birders as every new viewing opportunity results in one Yellow-rumped Warbler after the next.

Frustrated birders want to see more than Yellow-rumps, of course, so as one more Yellow-rump after the next fills their bincocular views, you might hear them vent: "Another Yellow-rump? Another Butter Butt! " (its well known nickname).

But fear not, my warbler friends. Consider my fond memories of seeing a forest dominated by Yellow-rumps when I lived and birded in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Often, the influx of Yellow-rumps was accompanied by the first snap of cold on an autumn morning, with a backdrop of   colorful autumn trees framing the appearance of other birds joining the Yellow-rumps.

Related, and in addition, note some populations of the neotropical-migrating Yellow-rumped Warbler persist into November (and beyond) throughout the Midwest, including the Upper Midwest and New England. During some years, this species may remain and survive the entire winter in the cold northern latitude of, say, southern Wisconsin...and, for this reason, it is occasionally reported by birders during Christmas Bird Counts in the Midwest and on the East Coast.

In recent years, this species has even been known to "over winter" throughout the non-breeding season in the the Midwest and East, especially if its favorite winter food sources are available (e.g., wax myrtle berries in the East, for example).

XX

As for other common species you might see on the West Coast in fall in lieu of Yellow Warbler,
in my area of n. CA 20 miles north of San Francisco, Orange-crowned Warbler is often seen as dispersers and/or migrants.

Vagrant warbler sightings of so-called East Coast warbler species primarily happens from August through October on the Outer Point lighthouse area within Point Reyes National Seashore, a one-hour drive from my house and a spot, by the way, that I often bring birders who employ me as a Marin County birding guide.

East Coast warblers that are common in fall besides Yellow-rumped Warbler?

Palm Warbler is the next most common one and often associates with Yellow-rumps, especially in from mid- to late-fall.

Regards, Daniel Edelstein

warblerwatch.com
(where my "Birding Tours" area provides details related to my all-day guided birding tours)

http://warblerwatch.blogspot.com

Warbler Guy, how many warblers nest where you live in the Marin County, California area?

Thanks, Jeb....I am always flattered (and LUCKY) to see a vagrant Blue-winged Warbler as a rare, cameo-appearing vagrant on the West Coast (and rare to absent many years, though a visit to the Outer Point, lighthouse area within Point Reyes National Park would be your best bet to see this common Midwestern and Eastern USA nester (see figure, below).

As for northern California nesting warblers in the county where I live in Novato, Marin County (25 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge), seven species of warblers typically nest annually
in my area — a venue that is, incidentally, the area from where the majority of my guided bird tours begin (Feel free to see the "Birding Tours" area of my web site: warblerwatch.com)

Which seven nesting warblers usually occur annually during most breeding seasons in Marin County?:

1) Common Yellowthroat (a subspecies of which is a year-round resident);
2) Orange-crowned (with the bulk of this species a neotropical migrant that arrives back as early as February, though the largest pulse arrives annually in March);
3) Yellow-rumped (auduboni subspecies, with higher altitudes in the county hosting nesters);
4) Black-throated Gray (typically restricted to drier open woodlands and forests;
5) Hermit Warbler (probably our county's second most rare nesting warbler next to MacGillivray's Warbler that is rare to sporadic as a #6 nester; and, finally, and last BUT not least:
7) Wilson's Warbler (that is rare to absent during the non-breeding season, but common in moist, bottomlands and riparian areas by April throughout the county, with a early return in March within the Bay Area and Marin County this past 2015 breeding season.

For more information, feel free to consult two field guides that are the best, most comprehensive, current warbler field guides:
- Warblers, Jon Dunn & Kimball Garrett, Houghton Mifflin Press, 1997
- The Warbler Guide, Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle, Princeton Univ. Press, 2013

Regards, and happy birding...Daniel

warblerwatch.com

http://warblerwatch.blogspot.com

Warbler Guy, given you appear to be a birding guide in N. CA, where can I find reports of bird sightings there?

Sally (in Joliet, IL)....

Glad to Share & Tell the answer:

1. Go to:

sialia.com

2. Here, read current and recent bird sighting reports from various spots in n. California.

3. Or click on the pulldown menu to find a specific region that has a listserv
list of bird sightings whose geographic area corresponds to where you plan on birding (e.g., the listserv titled "NorthBayBirds" at sialia.com comprises Marin Co. where I live....as well
as other San Francisco Bay counties such as Sonoma and Napa Co.).

4. Email me at danieledelstein@att.net if you have more questions about finding various birding spots reported by folks who may not include directions to help you find birding venues.

Regards, Daniel

warblerwatch.com
415-382-1827 (o)

P.S.: You may be interested in my latest warbler quiz on the far right column here?

Warbler Guy, I'm always traveling to new birding spots, so what are my resource options for finding where to find warblers where I go?

Glad to help, Janice (in Phoenix).

Here's some resource options that may assist you:

1. The web is your friend, as you go:

- to birdingonthe.net and click on Rare Bird Alerts....Then click on the region to where you are going.  Scan. Read. Instant knowledge.

- to audubon.org....then click on the state to where you are going, and, next, local chapters. Choose the one in the area where you plan to visit, reading the area, say, that lists local birding sites.

Email addresses of folks in an Audubon chapter are often posted in this area or under the Board of Directors or other names where the "field trip coordinator" often is the most knowledgeable to float an email with your questions.

2. For example, using the first option above, I found a Masschusetts listserv posting from June, 2013 that could pertain to the current date and this month, July, when warblers first begin to disperse/migrate.

To wit: Check out the following photo. Do you think this group of YELLOW WARBLERS is already dispersing/migrating? I'd suggest they could be moving locally, but are not in full nightly flying mode yet. They might even be a family group, with three of the five first-year/hatch-year individuals.

(Source: http://www.whatbird.com/forum/index.php?/topic/102416-all-tree-swallows-yellow-warblers-starting-migration/)

Regards, Daniel Edelstein
warblerwatch.com
danieledelstein@att.net

Warbler Guy, now that it's summer, which warblers am I most likely to see after nesting? Do they migrate in summer?

Good questions, Valerie (in New York City).

Depending on your location in North America, you may begin seeing warblers dispersing and migrating as early as late June, though July and August are the more common months to start seeing them away from their nesting areas.

For example, in the Midwest and East, Yellow Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, and Louisiana Waterthrush are well known to be early migrants. (I remember a few years ago reading of a bander who already captured on a returning Louisiana Waterthrush (below photo) on July 4th to its wintering grounds in the Bahamas.)

In the West, Orange-crowned Warbler often leave nesting grounds by early June. Some populations in coast California areas disperse upslope to the Sierra Nevada mountain range (and its foothill areas) to feed amid temporary "staging ground" areas before truly migrating in August and September.

Where I live in the San Francisco Bay area, Orange-crowned Warblers are still present amid their nesting grounds some cases, but the vast majority have already left their nesting areas — including some that have left for the Sierra.

Dawdling Orange-crowned individuals remain here, however, such as the males I heard singing today. It's possible these late-stayers may be re-nesting and, as a result, are still hosting recently hatched newborns.

Other nesting warbler species in my area — Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Gray, Yellow-rumped, Wilson's, and Hermit — have also completed their nesting cycle, or will surely do so in most cases by no later than July.

That's why I'm now often forced to drive long distances to find these warblers in the mountains where songbird nesting remains vibrant.

Happy Birding to all, Daniel

Warbler Guy, can you help me ID these warblers? Which app helps ID birds when I have photos?

Jessie, try looking at:

http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/photo-id

As for your warbler photos, below, here's my opinion as to their identities (from top to bottom):

Orange-crowned, Nashville, Orange-crowned, Yellow-breasted Chat

Warbler Guy, has Kirtland's Warbler been seen this year in Wisconsin? Is it nesting again in 2015 within Wisconsin?

Yes, Dennis, Kirtland's Warbler has been reported on five ebird.org checklists noted at:

http://ebird.org/ebird/map/kirwar?neg=true&env.minX=&env.minY=&env.maxX=&env.maxY=&zh=false&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=cur&byr=2015&eyr=2015

Whether it's nesting in Wisconsin is still an open question, given I do not yet see the WI DNR or USFWS web sites indicating nesting presence in 2015.

Nonetheless, nesting success again in 2015 within Wisconsin is likely, given the last seven years have yielded nesting success in one or more state locations.

Check back here again soon and I'll have a more extensive update.

Of course, the annual nesting presence of Kirtland's in Michigan has repeated, as 10 or more of this state's counties have hosted this federally endangered species since monitoring efforts began.

One ongoing, perhaps annual nest in Ontario may also again host a nesting pair again in 2015, but I'll have to confirm this phenomenon. Again, please feel free to check back as more information becomes available that I am able to share here.

One related update offers a fascinating discovery:
A banded Kirtland's Warbler from Wisconsin has been recaptured in the Bahamas where this species spends the non-breeding season. See:

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/greenbay/endangered/kiwa/2015/UpdateApril2015.html

(Above, Kirtland's Warbler nestling receives color-bands at 5-6 days old, Adams County, Wisconsin.

Photo by Joel Trick.)

Warbler Guy, do you think Connecticut Warbler could appear as early as May 1st in northern Wisconsin?

It's possible, Joannie......Anomalous early arrivals occur among warbler species that typically show up later in the annual vanguard parade — Connecticut, Blackpoll, and Canada, during many years.

Then again, if you go to this year's ebird.org report for Connecticut, not one report I see in northern latitudes of the Upper Midwest is noted before 5/13/15, per:

http://ebird.org/ebird/map/conwar?neg=true&env.minX=-151.91499999999996&env.minY=11.58633002682991&env.maxX=-39.414999999999964&env.maxY=61.927969077338446&zh=true&gp=true&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=2015-2015&byr=2015&eyr=2015

To see the arrival times and presence of other wood-warblers for this year's migration, see
Greg Miller's excellent page, per:

http://www.gregmillerbirding.com/birders-notebook-2/2013-where-are-the-eastern-wood-warblers-now/

Enjoy the warbler fun! Daniel

danieledelstein@att.net

Warbler Guy, how do I know if warbler migration is strong? Migrating warblers are more dense on some spring days than other ones?

Fine question, Caren (in Austin).

I often use online radar to note spring migration trends.

One that is good: Birdcast

See:

http://birdcast.info/forecast/24-april-1-may-2015-forecast-and-thats-a-cold-shot-baby/

At this link, you'll read about the current week's presence of migrators and predictions.

It is a great resource, given the BirdCast forecast highlights migrant species that you can expect to see in each of several regions: Upper Midwest and Northeast; Gulf Coast and Southeast; Great Plains; and West. 

Warbler Guy, what is the new warbler taxonomy? Why is the warbler family rearranged?

Those are great questions, Posey (in Seattle).

The best way for me to explain the answers is to point you to:

http://www.sibleyguides.com/2011/06/the-new-wood-warbler-taxonomy/

Here, you'll learn, for example, that the Parula, Wilsonia, and Dendroica genera have vanished, with their species merging into other genera.

There's also a link to a Q & A interview with Irby Lovette, who is the lead author and researcher that championed the taxonomy changes.

Warbler Guy, is The Warbler Guide any good? Do you think it's worth buying?

Anita (in Carbondale, IL): Full disclosure.....I received a copy of The Warbler Guide when it first appeared.

That written, I would have absolutely bought it, if necessary.

It is excellent.

Many review of this guide appear online, so I won't describe its virtues here.

But I will note the publisher recently creating some downloadable apps from the book that
may interest you at:

http://blog.press.princeton.edu/2013/07/25/downloadable-warbler-guide-quick-finders/

At this link, you'll find Quick Finder PDF or JPG files for quick ID of warblers. For example, one download PDF shows all the faces of warblers; another depicts all the warblers from a 45 degree view; another shows spring eastern warblers; and, yet another, portrays them in their fall plumages.

Hence, beyond the book, the publisher (Princeton University Press) continues to provide free extras at its web site, with the best link at:

http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9968.html

As for my own recent warbler sleuthing, the spring on the West Coast has been fruitful so far.
March and early April arrivals of nesters in our area such as Hermit Warbler and Black-throated Gray Warbler have followed February appearances of returning nesters Wilson's Warbler and Orange-crowned Warbler.

Happy spring birding and warbler finding, Daniel
danieledelstein@att.net

Warbler Guy, is warbler migration early this year? Are early sightings of returning warblers occurring this spring?

Good question, Molly (in Palo Alto).

My N. CA/Marin County location provides a limited answer, but I believe reported sightings suggest, "yes," early arrival of returning warblers has happened in 2015.

For example, I noticed two to four week early arrival dates for WILSON'S, BLACK-THROATED GRAY, and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER in February and March, 2015.
Note, over-wintering sightings of these three species occurs, but the vast majority are absent in my area during the non-breeding season (i.e., they are seasonal/nesting residents only).

Likewise, a scan of ebird records for warbler arrival times in my area supports my contention.

As for the East and Midwest where warbler species (such Yellow-rumped and Palm Warbler and Louisiana Waterthrush) are just beginning to return to breeding territory, I have no information to share, sorry.

Meanwhile, other early arriving songbirds this season where I live have included Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Grasshopper Sparrow, Warbling Vireo, and Cassin's Vireo.

In fact, this winter was so warm and dry, it felt like spring. And, now, with spring arriving on the calendar, it feels more like summer (with today's temperature reaching 83° F....!)

Warbler Guy, where can I read about multiple warblers' nesting habits, warbler migration patterns, warbler songs, etc.?

Syd, you cannot go wrong by visiting:

http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/

This site features a comprehensive list of more than 720 North American species, with all of this area's Parulidae (warbler family) members present.

Yes, it costs money: $42 per year or $100 for three years.

Cannot recommend it enough.

Warbler Guy, where do I see a list of Rare Bird Alert posts for early returning migrants? Is there a composite bird listserv web site?

Sharlene (in New York), feel free to see:

http://birdingonthe.net/hotmail.html

I often use this site when traveling and wish to stay abreast of uncommon/rare bird sightings....in addition to knowing where and when migrants (such as wood-warblers) are being seen.

Warbler Guy, when is Nashville Warbler seen in the San Francisco Bay area? Is Nashville Warbler common in the San Francisco Bay Area?

Jill (in Cupertino), Nashville Warbler is absent to uncommon in the San Francisco Bay area, though in late summer, autumn and winter several documented sightings exist.

See:

http://ebird.org/ebird/map/naswar2?neg=true&env.minX=139.7545033619665&env.minY=-15.243590016900134&env.maxX=23.7388783619665&env.maxY=68.79936641140303&zh=true&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=last10

October is the most common month for Nashville sightings to occur, with many reported from the Outer Point within Point Reyes National Seashore.

Currently, an ongoing Nashville is being seen in Bodega Bay (Sonoma County) next to Diekmann's Deli (vegetation below parking lot).

In total: Consider the Nashville Warbler as a transient/migrant in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Warbler Guy, is it true Kirkland's Warbler nests in Wisconsin annually? For how many years have nesting Kirkland's Warbler been found in Wisconsin?

Jimmy (in Fargo), in 2014, Kirtland's Warbler nested for the seventh consecutive nesting season in Wisconsin.
 A fine summary report is present at:
http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/greenbay/endangered/kiwa/2014/2014SeasonReport.html


Highlights include noting 13 singing male Kirkland's were reported by monitors during the 2014 monitoring season in Wisconsin.

Three counties in Wisconsin hosted singing males, with one individual detected in Bayfield County, 1 in Marinette County, and 11 in Adams County.


Of course, a much larger population of this federally endangered songbird breeds annually in Michigan. Here, perhaps 500 Kirtland's Warbler are present during the breeding season, primarily in north/north-central Michigan counties.

In addition, one site in Ontario has also hosted recent breeding Kirkland's Warbler.

Warbler Guy, is it common to see warblers during the winter? Are sightings of non-breeding season warblers typical in the East and Midwest?

Greg (in Baltimore), I could provide you details, yet definitely not better than the following fine article at Nemesis Bird that provides an explanation of "winter" warbler abundance for the East:

http://www.nemesisbird.com/birding/rarities/winter-warblers/

As for the West, say, in northern California where I live, the most typical warbler species to see (from most common to rarest in the order shown below) include:

- Yellow-rumped (both Myrtle and Audubon's subspecies occur in diverse habitats in great abundance, though Audubon's far outnumber the former);
- Common Yellowthroat (considered a resident throughout parts of n. CA, including the SF Bay Area) (male, immediately below and female below the male);

- Orange-crowned (although most depart annually be each autumn, a small number remain throughout the non-breeding season before they are again joined by returning migrants in February/March);
- Hermit (similar in abundance to the explanation noted for Orange-crowned, above);
- Palm (rare to absent during the non-breeding season, though often seen during the fall migration window....considered a vagrant sighting by many birders who observe this species in n. CA);
- Wilson's (even less common to detect during the non-breeding season than Orange-crowned and Hermit);
- Nashville (a few occur during the non-breeding season, but it's typically rare to absent)
- Black-throated Grey (rare to absent during the non-breeding season); and
- Yellow (although this species is common to see as a fall migrant throughout much of n. CA, it is usually rare to absent by November - March in this region).