BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER
Dendroica cærulescens cærulescens (Gmelin)
Description.—Male: Upperparts dark gray-blue, lightest on forehead and crown; face, throat, upper breast, and sides solid black; belly and under tail-coverts white; base of primaries with a white spot, rather obscure in some individuals; tips of inner vanes of outer tail-feathers white. Female: Dull greenish gray above, pale buffy gray below, with white spot at the base of the primaries which is always characteristic of this species in any plumage. The female has an obscure whitish line above the eye. Length: 5¼ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common migrant in May and September. Found as a summer resident in the northern and more mountainous counties where it occurs almost wherever there is a rhododendron growth.
Nest.—A neat but rather shallow cup, usually placed in rhododendron 2 to 3 feet from the ground, often in the deepest part of the woodland. Eggs: 3 or 4, white or creamy white, spotted about larger end with reddish brown.
Myrtle Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
The song of this species is deliberate and rich, though droning and insect-like rather than musical. It might be written zuree, zuree, zuree, zeee, or zwee, zwee, zwee, zwee. The colors of the male are unmistakable, but the dull-colored female and young will puzzle many a beginner. Remember the white patch at the base of the primaries. Look for the bird in midsummer, in rhododendron thickets.
MYRTLE WARBLER; YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
Dendroica coronata coronata (Linnæus)
Description.—Adult male in spring: Crown-patch, patches at sides of chest, and rump, clear yellow; white line above eye; rest of upperparts blue-gray; back streaked with black; wings with two white wing-bars; outer tail-feathers tipped with white on the inner webs; chin and throat white; sides of breast black, merging into streaks along the sides; belly and under tail-coverts white. Adult female: Similar, but browner, and the black breast-patches replaced with streaks. Immature and adults in winter: Brownish, the yellow patches on crown, sides of chest, and rump, obscure. Length: 5½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common migrant in late April and May and September and October; occasional as a winter resident; it has been noted thus principally at Erie.
The Myrtle Warbler is usually not shy and may be identified easily. In its winter range it spends much of its time on or near the ground, where it eats many seeds. While with us it is usually seen in the lower trees and bushes, where a good view may be obtained of the upperparts with the bright yellow rump-patch. The song is not noticeable; it does not have any particularly accented notes, and will not be of much use in identifying the bird. Myrtle Warblers are to be found in any sort of woodland; they have no preference for coniferous trees during migration, though they nest in them in Canada.
MAGNOLIA WARBLER
Dendroica magnolia (Wilson)
Description.—Adult male: Crown blue-gray; line above eye and spot under eye, white; area in front of and behind eye, black; back, wings, and tail blackish; wing with large white patch; tail with the bases of the inner webs of all but the inner pair of feathers white; rump and underparts yellow, breast and sides heavily streaked with black; under tail-coverts white. Adult female: Similar, but duller, the underparts less heavily streaked. Immature: Dull olive-greenish above, without noticeable superciliary or spot under eye, but with two wing-bars and markings on the tail same as in adult; underparts yellow, obscurely streaked along the sides with black; under tail-coverts white. Length: 5¹/₁₀ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—As a migrant abundant in May and September, particularly the latter, when hordes of young birds are migrating. As a summer resident rather rare and local, found principally among or near hemlock growth, chiefly in the northern and more mountainous counties.
Nest.—A shallow, neat cup, made of fine twigs, lined with finer materials and hair, placed a few feet from the ground, often in a hemlock sapling. Eggs: 3 or 4, white or creamy, with red-brown spots at larger end.