Adult American Redstart plumages are similar in both spring and fall. There is a marked difference between the mature adult male and female plumages. Probably the most interesting thing about the plumages of this species is the transition between the first fall male (born this spring) and the fully mature adult male. Plate images 1-3 are males, and 6 is a female, and 4,5 could be either sex. See discussion below.
Plate 1 shows the fully mature adult male, and plate 2 by contrast shows a near fully mature adult male. Note the difference in the extension of the black on the chest, and the areas of incomplete black about the face. Plate 2 probably represents a 2nd spring male (born two springs ago).
Plate 3 illustrates some important items. Plate 3 is a first spring male (born the previous spring). What will always be present in the first spring male is black in the lores (area in front of the eye). Beyond that telltale sign of first spring male is a variable amount of black elsewhere in the face and chest. This varies from imperceptible to some touches of black here and there, to more extensive black such as on the chest of this bird. The 2nd item of importance to point out about plate 3 is the yellow in the chest area in front of the wing. A first spring or first fall male often has orange in this area, but not always and this image illustrates that conclusively. More on the importance of that when discussing plate 5.
Plate 4 shows orange in front of the wing and is a fall image. This favors a first fall male, but some adult females may have orangish in front of the wing as well. A look at the over tail coverts (which are well seen in 1) would help separate further.
Black over tail coverts would indicate a male, and olive would indicate female. The retrices (tail feathers) are well seen in 4.
As a rule first fall birds (born preceding spring) would have sharper points to those feathers, and on an adult bird they would be duller. They don't look all that sharp to me in 4.
Plate 5 is the adult female plumage, but the image is from fall, so quite conceivably it could be one of those first fall males that don't have orange in the chest area in front of the wing. Finally plate 6 is the dullest of plumages, the first fall female (born this spring). Notice the lack of color on the wing itself, compared to the adult female plumage in 5.
QUESTIONS TO ASK IN SPRING WHEN YOU HAVE A FEMALE TYPE PLUMAGE:
1. Is there any black in the lores (area in front of the eye)?
2.Is there any black elsewhere on the head/chest?
3.Is there yellow or orange on the chest in front of the wing?
QUESTIONS TO ASK IN FALL WHEN YOU HAVE A FEMALE TYPE PLUMAGE:
1. Is there orange or yellow on the chest in front of the wing?
2.Is there any yellow on the wing itself (wing bar)?
3.Are the over tail coverts olive or black?
Tags: amrecollage1 american redstart collage american redstart plumages american redstart 1.2-MT Oglethorphe,GA 3-Tawas Pt, MI 4,5,6-Kennesaw MT,GA NFinput
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The top 3 images (1 thru 3) are spring plumages and the bottom 3 (4-6) are fall plumages.
The adult spring male (1) has a solid black cheek and throat, and very thick black side striping. The first spring male (3) (born the previous spring) is much the same but lacks the full black throat. The adult spring female (2) in comparison has a much fainter cheek and a dark eye-line. She also has much fainter black side stripes and there is no black in the throat. She has some buff in the sides/flank area.
Turning to the fall plumages, the adult fall male (4) is often devoid of or has much reduced black in the throat, and has less intense black markings compared to spring males. The first fall male (born this spring) (5) has a black eye-line rather than a full black cheek, and has well defined black side streaking. He also lacks buff coloration in the face or side areas. Finally the fall female (6) also has a black eye-line rather than a solid black cheek, and she has much fainter black side streaking. She has a variable amount of buff on the sides and face, but generally much more prominent buff than spring females. Adult fall females tend not to have buff on the face, so (6) is likely a first fall female (born this spring).
QUESTIONS TO ASK IN THE FIELD ABOUT THIS SPECIES:
1. Is there a black cheek or a black eye-line?
2. Is there black in the throat area and how much?
3. Is there any buff in the sides/flanks/face?
4. How prominent are the black side stripes?
As all of my work these plates are copy-right protected.
Tags: bawwcollage1 1-pinelogwma-GA 2-magee marsh-OH 3-St. Georges Island-FL 4,5,6-Centennial Olympic Park-GA collage warbler warbler collage black-and-white warbler warbler plumage plate-1 black-and-white warbler collage
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Plates 1-4 are spring birds and 5-6 are first fall plumages.
The spring male Blackburnian warbler is unmistakable with it's flaming orange throat and jet black colorations. Mature spring male is seen in 1/2, and first spring male (born the spring prior) in 3. The fall adult male resembles the first spring male (3) more so than the fully mature spring male. The large solitary white wing panel in the fully mature spring male (1,2), is replaced by paired white wing bars in the fall, similar to the first spring male in 3.
4 shows the relatively duller plumage of the spring adult female. She has many brown tones amidst the areas where the adult male has only solid black. She also has two white wing bars rather than a complete solitary wing panel as found in the fully mature spring male(1,2). Plate 4 particularly well shows a feature found on all plumages of this species. Notice the paired pale longitudinal streaks on the bird's back. This feature is found on the brightest to the dullest plumages of this species, but usually is not visible in this high canopy dwelling warbler, where views of the dorsal aspect don't come easy.
6 is the dullest of plumages, and represents the first fall (born this spring) female. Notice there is no black feathers amongst the brown on the face, cap, and side. The peachy face, throat, and upper chest tones are more pale than what is seen on the other plumages. The peach coloration in this plumage can become almost white as fall drags on. 5, a brighter plumage than 6, is typical for first fall male/fall adult female( those two plumages are similar in the field), and has some of those black feathers that are absent from the first fall female. In 5 there is a black line along the top of the auricular (cheek patch), which favors first fall male (born this spring), over fall adult female. Notice the pale patch in the central cap area in 5. All Blackburnian plumages have either a white to peach to bright orange area here (center of top of head) which is most noticeable in plate 2.
Tags: 1,2,3-Mt Oglethorpe,GA 4-Magee Marsh,OH 5-Centennial Olympic Pk,GA 6-Kennesaw Mt,GA blackburnian warbler collage blackburnian warbler plumages blbwcollage1
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1 thru 3 are spring birds, and the rest are fall. This long distant migrant is a rare find here in Georgia in the fall, so I am pleased that all the fall images are from Georgia. In the fall most Blackpolls exit the continental USA in the NE and fly directly over the Atlantic Ocean to their wintering grounds in South America.
In the spring the adult male (1,2) is easily separated from the female (3), but spring Blackpolls are difficult to age. The male has a black cap, white cheeks, and black malar (sides of the throat), with bold black streaks on both upper and lower parts. The spring female has no black cap, and has less bold streaking, and varying amounts of yellow below. All plumages both spring and fall have a pair of white wing bars.
In the fall it is difficult to sex this species, but easier to separate adults from first fall birds. 4 thru 6 show how the streaking and yellow wash, both characteristics of the underside of the bird, can vary in fall birds. 6 with relatively low contrast overall, and subtle streaking below (which is best seen on the sides of the throat), is likely a first fall bird (born preceding spring). For all fall plumages, despite the amount of yellow below, the under tail will be white just as it is in all spring birds. Fall birds will not be as yellow/orange in the feet as spring birds. You can see how the amount of yellow in the feet can vary in fall birds. 5 has the least amount of yellow visible. In birds the part of the feet that grasps is the toes and the long featherless 'leg' is actually the foot itself. The back side of this foot (the sole) and the underside of the toes may be the only place you see yellow in a fall bird of this species. Notice the distinct paired white wing bars in all the fall birds, which aids in separating this species from some other fall warblers that may appear similar.
The first fall female Bay-breasted warbler, and dull Pine warblers in particular are most commonly confused with the fall Blackpoll. They are superficially similar in appearance, wing bars and all. Pine warblers will have a much longer tail, and a distinct face pattern. They also will not have the white edges to the tertial flight feathers (feathers of the wing that are closest to the back of the bird). These tertials are best seen in 6. The first fall female Bay-breasted is even easier to confuse with the fall Blackpoll because she lacks any bay on her sides, and her tail and white edged tertials appear similar. She will not have yellow on her feet however, and she will not have streaking below. 6 is a particularly dull Blackpoll with very little streaking, but subtle streaking can be seen on the sides of her throat. Fall Blackpolls will also have a more distinct small eye-line than a Bay-breasted warbler, and the face will appear subtly different, which is perhaps best learned by experience.
Tags: blpwcollage1 blackpoll warbler collage blackpoll warbler plumages fall blackpoll fall blackpoll warbler baypoll 1,2,3-Magee Marsh,OH 4,5-Centennial Olympic PK, GA 6-Kennesaw MT, GA
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1,2,3 are spring birds and the remainder are fall birds.
1 and 2 are the adult spring male. 3 is the spring female. She is on the duller side for a spring female, as many have more yellow below, but some first spring females have no discernible yellow. Notice the unique face pattern of the male, the dark cap, the prominent dark streaking on the back (2), and the prominent white wing panel. The female (3) in comparison doesn't have such a dark cap. She doesn't have the orange auricular (face patch), nor does she have much streaking on her back. She doesn't have a prominent wing panel, but instead has thin wing bar(s). All the males and females whatever the season have either a yellow to yellowish-green rump patch. Spring birds of this species are difficult to age, but sexing them per the above discussion is fairly straight forward.
4 shows the adult fall male. He is much duller than in spring. He still has a relatively dark cap, a prominent white wing panel, and some orange in the face. Many adult males average duller in all these respects, making them difficult to separate reliably from first fall males, and adult females. 5 may be either a first fall male or adult female as the bird lacks a prominent white wing panel, has a relatively gray rather than dark cap, and has no orange in the face. Given the relative absence of a wing panel favors a relatively bright adult female, but it is difficult to be certain. 5 illustrates the difficulty sexing/aging many fall birds of this species. 6 is the dullest plumage, the first fall female (born previous spring). She lacks discernible yellow below, and has at best a partial thin wing bar. Her yellowish-green rump is visible, and again the rump color is an important field mark for whatever the plumage of this species.
The Cape May has dark streaking that can be seen on the underparts in all plumages, which is most pronounced in the adult spring male, and least pronounced in the first fall female (6). The fine-pointed, slightly decurved bill is unique for a warbler species. It along with it's unique tubular tongue aids in feeding on nectar, and penetrating and feeding on fruits on migration, and on the wintering grounds. The bird's diet is largely if not solely limited to insects on breeding grounds. The spruce budworm is it's staple then, and in years with good outbreaks the species reproduces in much greater numbers.
Tags: cmwacollage1 cape may warbler plumages cape may warbler 6-Kennesaw MTN,GA 5-Boone, N.C. 4-Centennial Olympic Pk, GA 2,3-Tawas Pt St Pk, MI 1-Magee Marsh, OH
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