Flashes of yellow zip across your binos as warblers flit through the leaves foraging for insects. They are quick and beautiful, but who does that yellow belong to? At this time of year, male warblers in their breeding plumage are striking but can look similar – especially when they are moving quickly. Here are some tips on recognizing the differences between Yellow-rumped and Magnolia Warblers:
- First, look at the size. Yellow-rumped Warblers are large, full-bodied warblers; Magnolia Warblers are smaller and more slender
- The color patterns are quite different, but a little complex: Adult breeding Yellow-rumped Warblers come in two varieties – Myrtle (which has more white and a mask – as in the above photo) and Audubon’s (which has a yellow chin patch and no mask). Both of these Yellow-rumped Warblers have a distinctive yellow rump, yellow crown, and yellow under the wing, white underparts with black streaks, a gray back and white flashes in their wings. Adult breeding Magnolia Warblers are gray and white above, have a black mask, yellow throat and underparts with a black necklace, and white wing patch. Well, there is a lot to think about here.
- If you are still unsure, a key identifier for Yellow-rumped Warblers is, not surprisingly, a yellow rump which is seen year-round. For Magnolia Warblers look for the white “handkerchief” on their wings. This alone might be enough to get the correct ID.