8 replies to this topic

[JimUSNY]

This guy was hanging out with a group of Yellow Rumps at the river yesterday.. thought t was just another, but unless its a juvy or something the white line above eye and the yellow under tail it is not one? hoping its something I dont have

[TheBillyPilgrim]

It's a Palm Warbler!

[JimUSNY]

Yep.. I just found it in my Sibley.. juvy I assume.. oh well not a new one, but better than the million yellow rumps I see Thanks

[BarnSwallow]

I don't think they have a juvenile plumage. This just looks like a regular nonbreeding adult.

[JimUSNY]

I don't think they have a juvenile plumage. This just looks like a regular nonbreeding adult.

Hmmm... maybe its a female then? here is a shot I took of one last year in November and how I usually see them in fall, looks much more colorful than this one, or maybe some molt slower?

[BarnSwallow]

Males and females are identical. The first one is a "western" palm warbler, and the second is an eastern. Sibley's has good pics of both.

[JimUSNY]

ahh OK, so I probably dont see the western variety much if at all.. I assume they are considered one species as far as count is concerned?

[BarnSwallow]

Yes, they are one.

[TheBillyPilgrim]

I don't think they have a juvenile plumage. This just looks like a regular nonbreeding adult.

To clarify, all birds have juvenile plumages...that term just refers to their first set of feathers. Most birds (warblers included) only have their juvenile plumages for several weeks while in the nest, so we never see them (there are some exceptions, though). Any plumages that come between Juvenile and their "adult" are usually referred to as "immature," which is what we see on most young birds flying around. Palm Warblers do in fact have an immature plumage, it's just very similar to their adult plumage and difficult to distinguish if the bird is not in hand.