Warbler Guy, which warblers are most likely to be seen on Christmas Bird Count surveys in the Midwest? Likely Christmas Bird Count warblers in the East? Likely Christmas Bird Count warblers in New England?

Stacey (in Boston), you may be asking this question because some Yellow-rumped Warbler(s) were seen on recent Christmas Bird Count(s) (CBC)?

If so, you are spot-on in thinking this species is the most likely Parulidae (wood-warbler) Family member to show up during the non-breeding season in northern latitudes.
Here's one posting of a Rare Bird Alert from New Hampshire where people witnessed three
Yellow-rumped Warbler (YRWA):
3 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were seen at Odiorne Point 
State Park in Rye on December 29, 2014.
For the full account of the "rare" bird species detected during this 1/1/14 CBC survey, please see:

http://birdingonthe.net/hotmail/EAST.001114302.html

Which other warbler species are the most likely to appear in the dead of winter in NH or other upper Midwest and East Coast areas?

Beyond the YRWA, look for the following as the "usual suspects":

(and NOT typically annual every "winter" in northern USA latitudes):


- Common Yellowthroat

- Palm

- Yellow-breasted Chat (more typically Mid-Atlantic and south from there)

- Pine (sometimes eats seeds at winter feeders)



Long shots, and rarely present (and NOT typically annual every "winter"):



- Bay-breasted

- Black-and-white

- American Redstart

- Cape May



Feel free to write me with more questions, Stacey....and other readers:

danieledelstein@att.net

WarblerWatch.com
(hosts "Birding Links" for free birding info. & also hosts my resume)

WarblerWatch.blogspot.com
(my warbler-centric blog since 2007)

 

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

 

Hello Jeremy (in Toledo, OH):

Indeed, there the Olive Warbler, Peucedramus taeniatus,  is a small passerine bird. It is the only New World warbler species member of the genus Peucedramus in its own family, the Peucedramidae.

Breeding from southern Arizona through New Mexico and south into Mexico and Nicaragua, the Olive Warbler is the only member of the genus Peucedramus and the family Peucedramidae. All our other New World warblers in the continental USA are in the Parulidae family (except for rare to occasional vagrant sightings of Old World Warbler sightings — among them being Arctic and Dusky Warbler).

The Olive Warbler status in its one-member family is distinctive in that it's the only bird family endemic to North America (including Central America). Before it was classified into its current family, this warbler was considered a Parulidae, but DNA studies suggest that it split early in its evolutionary history from the other related passerines prior to the differentiation of the entire New World warbler/American sparrow/Icterid group.

Where should you look for this species?

Like many other New World warblers, it is an insectivorous species of coniferous forests.
According to the iBird Pro app I used to interpret its distribution range, Olive Warbler is restricted to breeding in central/east-central Arizona and a small portion of southwestern New Mexico. It's non-breeding season range includes southern Arizona most of western Mexico and a restricted area of northeastern Mexico immediately south of Texas.

Though it is often said to be non-migratory, most New Mexican birds typically leave the state from November to late February.

Warbler Guy, given I live in the SF Bay Area, which warbler species are the most common to see during the non-breeding season (i.e., overwintering species)?

 

Good question, Sheehi (in Fairfield).

In general, in correct habitat, below I list the order (from most common to rarest) for abundance of wood-warbler species in the SF Bay Area during the non-breeding season. I suggest only the initial two on the following list — Yellow-rumped and Common Yellowthroat — are common to detect throughout the SF Bay Area during the non-breeding season:

(Orange-crowned Warbler, above, a common SF Bay breeding species, but rare to absent during the non-breeding season)

1. Yellow-rumped Warbler

2. Common Yellowthroat

3. Depending on which habitat you visit, the next most common species to detect could be:

Orange-crowned Warbler (strongest contender for the 3rd spot; see above photo)
Hermit Warbler (rare to absent during the non-breeding season)
Wilson's Warbler (rare to absent during the non-breeding season)
Palm Warbler (seen annually during the non-breeding months, but never common in the SF Bay
Area during the "winter" months.....most common seen in during autumn migration along the coast, especially within Point Reyes National Seashore)
Black-throated Gray Warbler (rare, but annually seen during the winter, and, if so, during the West Marin Christmas Bird Count, for example)
Nashville Warbler (rare to absent during the non-breeding season; typically a transient in the SF Bay Area; does not nest here)

Regards, Daniel

warblerwatch.com
(hosts information about my 25+ years of Wildlife Biology services, in addition to my bird tours via the "Bird Tours" tab)

Here's the photo quiz answers from my previous post featuring wood-warbler photos:

 Good job, everyone....it's cool to note Ryan Brady was kind to share his photos and now (drum roll) the answers (clockwise starting from the top left-most photo):

Black-throated Green

Ovenbird

Tennessee

Mourning (female)

Cape May

*

NICE to note and FLATTERED to mention: I'll be in WI 9/14 - 9/22/21 for birding, including attending the WI Society for Ornithology event (JaegerFest) near Superior, WI.....Should be excellent and wonderful, too, to see friends.

Now to a birding tour here that I'm leading in my homeground, the SF Bay Area...plus preparing for my upcoming "Fundamentals of Ornithology" class that I'm teaching 9/26 - 11/14/21 at Merritt College (Oakland, CA) (Merritt.edu). More info. on it: 

DanielsMerrittClasses.blogspot.com

Cheers to all...be safe....Daniel

WarblerWatch.com

Today's "Guest Host" For A Warbler Photo Quiz Is Ryan Brady, Per Below :-)

Ryan Brady

ugAuigustSeSpshStodoSnst o19u agat 8:r3d7rh uAMednm  · 

When you have a collection of mediocre warbler photos it is custom to make a quiz of them. These were all taken this week in N. WI (Bayfield Co.). How many can you ID?

This month's birding has generally been as abysmal as late spring and summer were, resulting in my worst August here in Bayfield Co., WI at the house by far. On the up side, this morning featured a very active overhead flight of warblers, flycatchers, nighthawks, and others. Hoping things improve when this relentless hot and dry weather breaks, although I fully expect Sept-Oct to reflect more of the low bird numbers we've generally seen all year.

Thanks for sharing Ryan (!).....Answers? Feel free to add your comment below....I'll post the answers by 9/5/21 so my loyal followers (Thank you!) have a chance to share their answers. Regards, Daniel Edelstein, Birding Guide & Consulting Avian Biologist, WarblerWatch.com

 

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.

Breeding from southern Arizona through New Mexico and south into Mexico and Nicaragua, the Olive Warbler is the only member of the genus Peucedramus and the family Peucedramidae. All our other New World warblers in the continental USA are in the Parulidae family (except for rare to occasional vagrant sightings of Old World Warbler sightings — among them being Arctic and Dusky Warbler).

The Olive Warbler status in its one-member family is distinctive in that it's the only bird family endemic to North America (including Central America). Before it was classified into its current family, this warbler was considered a Parulidae, but DNA studies suggest that it split early in its evolutionary history from the other related passerines prior to the differentiation of the entire New World warbler/American sparrow/Icterid group.

Where should you look for this species?

Like many other New World warblers, it is an insectivorous species of coniferous forests.
According to the iBird Pro app I used to interpret its distribution range, Olive Warbler is restricted to breeding in central/east-central Arizona and a small portion of southwestern New Mexico. It's non-breeding season range includes southern Arizona most of western Mexico and a restricted area of northeastern Mexico immediately south of Texas.

Though it is often said to be non-migratory, most New Mexican birds typically leave the state from November to late February.

Warbler Guy, which warblers are the most confusing to identify because they look like other species? Any tips to identify look-alike warblers?

 

Jamie (in Boston), I like the pictorial guide to confusing look-alike species in The Warbler Guide
("Comparison Species" corresponding to each warbler account and, in addition, pages 512-519 within the "Similar Non-Warbler Species" section).

(Orange-crowned Warbler is shown above.)

In this section, photographs of these look-alike birds feature both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglet, Bushtit, Verdin, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-Capped Chickadee, Blue-headed (and Plumbeous and Cassin's) Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbler Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Bell's Vireo, Sparrow species, and Eastern Towhee.

This field guide is excellent and recommend it for many other outstanding features that few other field guides host.

Happy Birding On These Last (Precious) Days Of Summer (!), Daniel

danieledelstein@att.net

warblerwatch.com
(hosts my resume and my "Birding Tours" information....in addition to
birding articles, etc. at the "Birding Links" tab-button)