Yellow Warbler

Dendroica petechia

Appearance:
Small songbird
Bright yellow underparts
Yellow-green upperparts
Plain yellow face
Prominent, dark eye
Yellow eye-ring
Thin, pointed bill
Short-tail
Yellow tail spots
Male: (not photographed)
   Reddish-brown breast streaks
Female:
   Duller, no breast streaks
  
Listen to its call.

This is just one of the many birds I saw at Rithet's Bog last weekend. Although its yellow plumage is similar to many female and immature warblers, there are a number of features on this bird that I was able to use for identification. The large, dark eye and yellow in the tail feathers are characteristics unique to Yellow Warblers. However, I'm not sure whether it's a female or a young bird (or perhaps a young female). Although the slate-coloured bill in the photo above is typical of the adult Yellow Warbler, the pale bill in the photo below suggests a young bird.  This is an example of how the wrong light angle can result in problems with identification.

Learn more about the Yellow Warbler.