PINE WARBLER
Dendroica pinus pinus (Wilson)
Description.—Adult male: Olive-green above, with yellow superciliary not clearly defined; two prominent white wing-bars and the tips of the inner webs of the outer tail-feathers white; underparts dull yellow; an obscure line of olive-green from lower mandible leading back to side of chest where streaking of sides begins. Female: Similar but a little duller. Length: 5½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A summer resident rather locally distributed; found chiefly in the southern and central mountainous counties and more or less restricted as a nesting bird to areas in which pine trees grow. Sometimes arrives very early in spring.
Nest.—A cup made of twigs and fine weed-stalks, lined with finer material, placed near the tip of a pine bough, often at great height. Eggs: 3 or 4, white, spotted with brown.
The Pine Warbler’s rather dull coloration and resemblance to other species of the family would make it a difficult bird to identify were it not that it is virtually always found among pine trees. Its bright chipping song, which resembles that of the Chipping Sparrow a good deal, is delivered from the tip of a pine bough, and at such times the yellow breast and white wing-bars are evident. At Mont Alto, Franklin County, and in certain sections of Huntingdon County, I have found this bird abundant.
PALM WARBLER AND YELLOW PALM WARBLER
Dendroica palmarum palmarum (Gmelin)
and
Dendroica palmarum hypochrysea Ridgway
Two forms of the Palm Warbler occur in Pennsylvania, both as migrants. They are usually seen near the ground and are especially noticeable in the spring when they appear among the first of the smaller birds.
Description.—Adult male Palm Warbler: Crown rufous; rest of upper-parts dull olive-green, brightest on rump; wings with two white wing-bars; outer tail-feathers marked with white; dusky line through eye; distinct yellow line above eye; chin, throat, and breast dull yellow, streaked with olive-green; belly and under tail-coverts whitish. Female and young: Similar, but duller. The Yellow Palm Warbler is much brighter, though similar in general appearance. The entire underparts are yellow, including the under tail-coverts, and the breast and sides are streaked with reddish brown.
Range in Pennsylvania.—The Palm Warbler occurs as an early spring and mid-fall migrant in western Pennsylvania, west of the mountains. The Yellow Palm Warbler occurs in the eastern portion of the Commonwealth. At Harrisburg, the Yellow Palm Warbler occurs among the earliest spring migrants.
Palm Warbler
Prairie Warbler
The Palm Warblers both have the habit of wagging their tails. They are often seen near the ground, or in low bushes, and are usually not difficult to observe. Their songs are a broken series of chips, given in a rather subdued voice.