Confusing Fall Warbler

[Mike Milicia]

I posted this image for critique in "Wild and Free" with a posssibly incorrect ID of Blackpoll Warbler.

I've gotten at least one vote for Pine Warbler so figured I'd post here to try to resolve the ID.
Thanks in advance for any assistance that you can provide.

Photographed last week on Monhegan Island in ME.

[David Tyrer]

I have to agree that this is a First Year Pine Warbler. The Blackpoll has pale legs and feet and a streaked back. The yellow wash on the sides and breast indicate inmature Pine.

[Dave Brown]

Hi Mike,

I can provide a long detailed step by step for identifying fall warblers if anyone is interested in hearing it, or thinks it would be useful.For now though,I'll stick to separating this particular bird from a fall Blackpoll Warbler. So, why is this bird not a blackpoll warbler. The first thing that led me to this conclusion was just the overall feel or "jizz" of this bird. This method of birding is talked about in some detail in the the book The Shorebirde Guide by Richard Crossley et al. This bird just looks too big.. large billed, drab and plain faced to be a Blackpoll Warbler, but it looks perfect for Pine Warbler. However, to be more specific there are several plumage characters that make this bird a Pine,rather than Blackpoll Warbler . So lets start at the head and work backwards.

Head-

First off this bird has a pretty large all black, has a pretty decent eyering, palish lores, lacks a pale supercillium and appears lack any distinguishing facial features such as an auricular(cheek) patch. This differs from Blackpoll Warbler which will show a slightly smaller bill( often pale lower mandible), a noticeably pale supercillium, contrasting dark lores and at most, a well defined, but obviously split, yellowish eyering. In my experience fall blackpolls also tend to have fairly dark auriculars(cheeks) which,when combined with a split eye ring and supercillium give the Blackpoll a less "plain faced" look than is exhibited by this bird.

Upperparts( back and wings)

Fall Pine Warbler have non streaked green, greenish, grayish or brownish backs- again ALWAYS unstreaked. Blackpoll on the otherhand is prettymuch invariably some variation of gree and NEVER streaked( at least in my experience). As far as wings, Pine Warbler tends to show teo well marked white wing bars, wheras 1st year or fall Blackpoll often show yellowish wingbars,but adults can show pure white wingbars. As far as I know Pine Warbler will never show yellowish wingbars.

Underparts( throat, breast)
This bird shows an unstreaked whiteish throat separated from a what appears to be yellowish washed unstreaked breast, flanks and belly. Blackpoll tend to have a continuous wash of pale yellow extending from the throat to the bellybut often brightest on the throat. Also, many 1st fall Blackpolls have somewhat thick but indistinct breast streaking. Adult male Pine Warbler of course show some dark streaking on the breast but bland immatures like this bird will never show such streaking.

I guess I should also say something about the legs. This bird has pitch black legs and obvious yellow soles. Blackpolls often show entirely yellow legs, or black legs with entirely yellow feets, or rarely backish- gray legs with mostly black feet and yellow soles. The pattern shown above though would be very odd if not unheard of for Blackpoll Warbler, in my experience.

There are other differences that can be discussed but based on the image I feel the features highlighted above are the most important.

Dave Brown

[John Chardine]

Thanks Dave. It is extremely useful to know WHY someone thinks a species is this or that and I encourage everyone to give these details as well as ID. This is how we all learn and grow.