Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Mystery With Distraction

Setophaga citrinaSo I’m trying to figure what this little warbler is hopping along the side of the road near the grave of Peter Cooper and family in Green-Wood. Female something, right? It flies out of my binocular vision, so I glance away from the glasses and see:Hylocichla mustelinaA Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) just hanging out on a sign above the warbler. Oh, hello! Anyway, back to the mystery warbler challenge:Setophaga citrinaI didn’t get this until I checked a couple print sources back in the aerie. Care for a guess? (I’ll let a few answers pile up before showing them, so as not to spoil it for you.)

UPDATE: Check the comments for people’s guesses. I’m calling this a female Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citron).

mthew

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13 responses to “Mystery With Distraction”

  1. Will

    First pic i had no clue. Last pic ill guess hooded warbler?

    Reply
    1. mthew

      Top and bottom pics are the same bird. And Hooded is correct.

      Reply
  2. cgracie2015

    Given the locality, it could only be a mourning warbler (female).

    Reply
    1. mthew

      You’d think, right? But a Mourning should have a gray head, not as dark as the male, but still cloak-like.

      Reply
  3. Traci

    I love mysteries! I can’t really see the tail, so can I offer two guesses: female Wilson’s on female Hooded. Am I close?

    Reply
    1. mthew

      Yes, for the latter choice.

      Reply
  4. Megan

    Female Wilson’s?

    Reply
    1. mthew

      Looking at the female Wilson’s I can see the similarity, but I think female Hooded.

      Reply
  5. David

    Female hooded?

    Reply
    1. mthew

      Yup.

      Reply
  6. Deborah Allen

    Looks like a female Hooded Warbler. I don’t see any white in the tail, but sometimes don’t see that unless the tail is spread.

    Reply
    1. mthew

      I found the photos in The Warbler Guide, p. 301, particularly helpful on this one.

      Reply
  7. Shannon

    I also saw female Hooded. I saw my first one a few weeks back, so memory was still fresh! Nice challenge.

    Reply

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