Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Warbler Guy, are any new "splits" or "lumps" of species proposed for birds this year? Will the annual American Ornithologists' Union name changes happen soon?

Norm (in Manhattan):

GREAT question and the best answer for Warbler-Philes is an easy one: No wood-warbler family (Parulidae) changes proposed, BUT (drum roll for Corvid and Fringillid fans):

- "Woodhouse" Western Scrub-Jay subspecies could be elevated to species rank, per a current proposal; and

- Lump of Common and Hoary Redpoll is also in the proposal stage.

That's your "elevator" pitch summary, if you wish the simple answer.

There's more details for other taxa/proposals, below....and ALSO at the following link:

http://www.gizard.org/nacc/proposals/PDF/2016-A.pdf

Friday, April 22, 2016

Warbler Guy, how about an update on new warbler names? Any names for warblers change recently?

That's a great question, Erica (in Reno).

No proposed wood-warbler names or lumping/splitting of the current taxonomy in the wood-warbler family (Parulidae) that I can detect.

See the below web site link # if you’re interested in current proposals the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) may approve/disapprove by July, 2016.


Regards to all, Daniel Edelstein

warblerwatch.com (for free birding information as well as my "Birding Tours" overview at the home page)



Thursday, April 14, 2016

#7 WOOD-WARBLER Photo Quiz (Quiz Yourself, If You Please)

#7: WOOD-WARBLER Photo Quiz (Quiz Yourself, If You Please)






Can you identify the wood-warbler species in the five (5) photos, above?

(Hint: There only four total species among the five photos.)

Answers will be posted here in my next article that will appear no later than 1/5/10. Please check back, in addition to noting my "2016 Nature Watch Calendar" at:

warblerwatch.com

Regards, Daniel
415-382-1827 (CA/PT)

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Answer To Current Quiz In Right Column Here: BELOW (Drum Roll.....)

....Wilson's Warbler....More details related to this question follow:

Although a few Wilson's Warbler remain during the non-breeding season in the SF Bay Area/N. CA, the vast majority are neotropical migrants that vacate the area and typically begin returning AFTER Orange-crowned Warbler return as the area's INITIAL returning nesting wood-warbler species.


(Above, Wilson's Warbler)

The above note is an oversimplification of a more complex dynamic......given some Orange-crowned Warbler individuals ALSO remain during the non-breeding season.

Hence, in general, the order of returning wood-warbler species beginning in February annually:

1. Orange-crowned

2. Wilson's

3. Black-throated Gray

4. Yellow, Hermit, Yellow-breasted Chat, MacGillivray's (various order of appearance depending on the year.....though, usually, they are later than #1-#3, above).

Nashville also pass through, sometimes, but they do NOT typically nest along the coast.

What about Northern Parula you ask? Indeed, for at least three consecutive years, a documented nesting site was detected in W. Marin Co. (near SF).....but I would hesitate to suggest this species is annual in the Bay Area.

Please feel free to correct me if you have different information.

I'm always glad to be updated. Regards and happy spring birding, Daniel

warblerwatch.com (hosts my "Birding Tours" information related to my birding tour services that include 7 trips in April and several more in May both in N. CA and in Wisconsin, given I'll be co-leading trips at the annual Wisconsin Society for Ornithology conference.