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Photo taken in florida in October

I wanna go with Orange-crowned Warbler

 Wait for experts, though ;)

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116 birds photographed and IDed.

This is a tough one.  An Orange-crowned has less streaking on the underside and a yellow wash on the undertail coverts, so I don't think that's it. 

The main competitors here would seem to be immature Yellow-rumped and immature Pine.  However, it doesn't provide a classical fit for either of those.  I've lightened the pic and can see no striping on the back, which would be good for Yellow-rumped.  The flank streaking looks very heavy for a Pine, but on the other hand there certainly isn't much of the yellow spot on the side you would expect on a Yellow-rumped.  The tail looks quite short, but the undertail pattern isn't really discernable because it is in shadow.  I'm finding it hard to pick one of these over the other.

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Randy

A useful way of looking at confusing birds is to pick out three features and use them in a process of elimination. Here the bird clearly is a warbler, so that eliminates all the other families right off the bat. Then pick out three good features - broken yellow eye-ring, faint lower part streaking, and NO wing-bars. Using these you should find you are pretty much able to eliminate everything other than Orange-crowned.  I would have liked to see more of an eyeline, but nothing else fits all the other features.

I hear you, Snowy, and maybe that's right, but I still have problems with Orange-crowned.  When I lightened the pic a bit, the undertail coverts look just plain white.  I also detected a hint of a wing bar.  One thing for sure - if it's an Orange-crowned, then it is at the very extremes of dullness for a fall bird.  We've had a ton of them come through here this fall and they have all been pretty bright.

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Randy

Thanks for the replies. There was a distinctive white patch under the tail that does not show well in the photo.

here are 2 more photos. Note the white under the tail. Cheers, Marc

RJP:

I hear you, Snowy, and maybe that's right, but I still have problems with Orange-crowned.  When I lightened the pic a bit, the undertail coverts look just plain white.  I also detected a hint of a wing bar.  One thing for sure - if it's an Orange-crowned, then it is at the very extremes of dullness for a fall bird.  We've had a ton of them come through here this fall and they have all been pretty bright.

I know, it's not perfect for me either.  But it has to be something, doesn't it, so where's the more attractive alternative?

Add to that the beak shape is nice and sharp, perfect for Vermivora, I think you've got a very drab, fairly streaky Orange-crowned Warbler.

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Total birds seen: 205
Latest lifers:
Brown Creeper, Field Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow
Favorite lifers:
Black-billed Cuckoo, Reddish Egret, Wood Stork

The plumage looks more like a yellow-rumped's, but that bill seems too pointy.

Can't be, Yellow-rumped has wingbars.

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Total birds seen: 205
Latest lifers:
Brown Creeper, Field Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow
Favorite lifers:
Black-billed Cuckoo, Reddish Egret, Wood Stork

True, interesting specimen. I'm not used to such drab colors for an orange-crowned.

Edit: Hehe I keep seeing new features on the bird that puzzle me--what about that white patch on the underside of the tail in the second photo? Doesn't that fit YR?

I took the liberty of lightening this third pic a bit.  The bird has white tail spots, a bit longer towards the tip of the tail in the center, a bit shorter on the edges - perfect for a Yellow-rumped.  An Orange-crowned does not have white tail spots at all.

I would encourage Marc, the OP, that when you think you may have a tough bird, please post all the pics first.

 

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Randy

Intuition told me to ignore this thread entirely, but in for a dime, in for a dollar. Look especially at the second picture.  With wings that clean and not a trace of any wing-bars at all, I just can't buy Yellow-rumped.  I know they're a dime a dozen common and we all see them every day, but their wings don't look like this. Also, as a general rule Photoshop can very often be helpful - BUT it can also change the appearance enough sometimes to be misleading so it should be used with a grain of salt. Photos should be tweaked when necessary, but not wholly changed, like here changing the eye-ring from yellow to colorless.  Here's a first-winter Yellow-rumped for comparison. OK enough on this one.