Bird Board
Partial leucistic yellow-rumped or cape may?
Posted by Justin Miller
about 6 years ago
7 Comments
Spotted an odd looking bird at Wakodahatchee Sunday while out looking for the golden-winged warbler again...from the rear and on initial sighting I assumed it to be a yellow-rumped warbler due to the large yellow square at the base of the tail...but once I took a few shots and got home to look closer, I noticed a lot of white along the top of the head and just behind and below the eye. This made the ID a bit harder - but so far, consensus from others varied between cape may and yellow-rumped, with partial leucistic tendencies either way causing the white bits. Any additional help or confirmations on this odd little warbler?
Comments
I may be going out on a limb, but looks like Cape May to me. Yellow on the lore and throat, and lack of yellow on the shoulder point more to Cape May that Myrtle.
Thanks Toe. On another bird board, the majority seemed to lean towards yellow-rumped, but there were two fairly convincing posters noting cape may as a possibility...with similar reasons you mentioned.
The yellow-rumped group argued that the tail was too long for Cape May, the bill too thick, and that there appears to be a faint double wing bar making yellow-rumped more likely.
So far, I've got 4 yellow-rumped votes and 3 Cape May, including yours.
i agree with your partial leutistic yelowrumped..note the hint of incomplete white around eyes..great pic to chaalenge everyone
OK so I'm a British birder not a local but I'm with Toe. If the feathers are a problem look at the bird's structure.
A) structurally this looks too delicate for a Yellow Rumped to me -especially the bill which looks sharper.
B) The yellow wash on the breast is far more like a Cape May. Yellow rumps tend to have yellow on the flanks don't they?
But I might be wrong.
Oh and if you are keeping a tally I think my vote should only count as half as I'm a visitor.
Just noticed this thread. I saw this bird last week and got on it because I heard an obvious "Myrtle" Warbler calling. Needless to say I was surprised when I looked at it, but it is clearly at least partially Yellow-rumped due to the voice.
Jay Keller
Indeed he's been sticking around all this time. I just spotted him again this past Sunday in the same area, so he's gone on 3 weeks essentially in the same spot and same stand of trees. I hadn't heard him call out though, so that's good information Jay.
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