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ID Help Please

Discussion

5 replies
Posted by Keith Bauer on August 22, 2009 at 8:05 PM
ID Help Please
I captured this image in the mountains east of Albuquerque, NM at about 8000 feet this morning. I'm not sure what it is. Environment is a bunch of conifer's, shrubs, etc.

I've had varying opinions...

Warbling Vireo?
Orange-crowned Warbler?
Virginia's Warbler?
??

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by bill meikle on August 23, 2009 at 10:12 AM
Maybe Nashville Warbler immature?
Posted by Richard Ditch on August 23, 2009 at 12:22 PM
I'm for Orange-crowned Warbler.

The bill belongs to a warbler, not a vireo, so Warbling Vireo is out.

Nashville and Virginia's have well defined complete eyerings, so they are out.

Orange-crowned Warbler has a split eyering, as seen here, and some blurry breast streaking, also seen here.

The breast streaking and the amount of yellow in the undertail rules out the similar fall plumaged Tennessee Warbler.

The first fall plumage of the orestera race has a gay head; this is the race expected in New Mexico and all along the Rockies.

Reference: Warblers, Jon Dunn and Kimball Garrett, in the Peterson Field Guide series.
Posted by Jim DeWitt on August 24, 2009 at 2:19 AM
Orange-crowned Warbler. Classic orestera subspecies, hatch year bird. Nice photo, by the way.
Posted by Keith Bauer on August 24, 2009 at 3:20 PM
Thanks guys! I knew I could get some expert opinions here.
Posted by Daniel Barton on August 24, 2009 at 6:39 PM
Undoubtedly Orange-crowned.