Warbler Guy, your publicity agent told me you were interviewed about San Francisco Bay birding trips recently on Earth News Journal. True?

Yes, Grace.....

To hear a 2014 Earth News Journal interview where I highlight birding trip options in the SF Bay Area, please visit the following link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCK6eWjERyw&list=UUoxEFma744u4rhkwvCJMfNQ

Now back to our regular warbler programming. 

Happy spring birding! Daniel

danieledelstein@att.net

warblerwatch.com

Warbler Guy: What's a good web site for warbler songs? Songs of warblers are best heard on the web and who explains warbler calls and songs?

Here's where you should know about, James (in Vancouver):

http://www.xeno-canto.org

GR8 web site...Type in the name of the bird species you wish to hear and, amazingly, dozens of different recordings from acoustic birders appear. Explore the list by scrolling down to read descriptions of each recording, then click on the ones you wish to hear.

A fantastic web site related to bird song ecology and excellent articles is:

earbirding.com

Here, Nathan Pieplow, professional sound recordist and birder extraordinaire, features incisive accounts related to bird songs and calls.

His latest post from 2/28/14 notes excellent news with the announcement that the Florida Museum of Natural History now allows users access to is large collection of bird sound recordings. To find it, go to:

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/bird-sounds/

To read more about bird song ecology, I recommend Dr. Donald Kroodsma's book The Singing Life of Birds.

Warbler Guy: Migrating warblers cross the Gulf? Or do warblers migrate by land? Both ways?

Great question, Eric.

Answer: both, as the majority of breeding eastern and midwestern USA wood-warblers migrate north over the Gulf of Mexico (and, hence, are often referred to as "Trans-Gulf Migrants."

A couple of land-migrating only wood-warblers that avoid the 500-mile over-water excursion include Nashville Warbler and Mourning Warbler.

A qualification: western USA breeding wood-warbler species may travel different flyway routes that never require them to travel over large bodies of water such as the Gulf.

(ABOVE: Blackpoll Warbler autumn migration route (right-most arrows) and spring migration routes (arrows shown in middle of map. Non-breeding range = blue color in S. America; breeding territory range = orange color.)

More on this subject shall appear as an upcoming new post here soon. Please check back.

Please note:

A fine, general overview of this migration phenomena is accessed at:
http://alabamaforeverwild.com/index.php/experience-bird-migration-along-alabamas-coast/

A more refined, scientific treatise on this subject is available at:
http://www.int-ornith-union.org/files/proceedings/durban/Symposium/S33/S33.1.htm

Plus, here's a species-by-species map of wood-warbler migration tendencies:
http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/birds/migration/migrant.html

Fab Five Warbler Photo Quiz (#7)

Warbler Guy, you have not presented a warbler photo quiz for a spell. Can you photos of warblers soon? Or may I quiz you with an email regarding photos of warblers I have but cannot identify?

OK, Louis (in Tampa), here's five wood-warbler species photos. Can you name them from top to bottom? Post your answers by clicking on the "Comment" text button, below. (Answer will appear here by April 15, 2014. Please check back after readers have a chance to see this post and vote.)

Answers To Recent Quizzes (on right column of this blog as you scroll down)

Here's correct answers to the latest quizzes that appear on the right column as you scroll down (from the most recent quiz to earlier ones):

1.

Which of the following species is not a member of the wood-warbler family?

Answer: Olive Warbler

2. 

Warblers eat the following:

Answer: All of the above: seeds, fruit, and insects

(though some species primarily eat ONLY insects during the breeding season and, then, after returning to "wintering" grounds may eat fruit in combination with insects (e.g., Cape May Warbler) )

3. 

What's the name of an app where diverse wood-warbler photos can be seen when you wish to examine how immature/first-year ones appear?

Answer: Both iBird Pro and Sibley Birds sometimes host immature/first-year photos for some wood-warbler species.