Thursday, July 31, 2014

Any recent warbler name changes, Warbler Guy? Is the new 2014 AOU Check-list Supplement published yet?

Randy, please see:

http://blog.aba.org/2014/07/2014-aou-check-list-supplement-is-out.html

No significant N. America wood-warbler taxonomic changes have occurred except for the Arctic Warbler. (Read the link for more information.)

To me, the most interesting development was a restructuring of the King and Clapper Rail complex.

To wit, on the West Coast where I live the Clapper Rail is now Ridgway's Clapper Rail.
It contains three subspecies: the California (obsoletus), Yuma (yumanensis) and Light-footed (levipes).

Per the above link, the name "Clapper Rail" remains the same for the East Coast version of this bird, but its scientific name changed (to Rallus crepitans).


Saturday, July 5, 2014

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 Summer, Daniel

danieledelstein@att.net

warblerwatch.com