PHOTO LIBRARY

Mourning Warbler / Paruline triste (Oporornis philadelphia)

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

common   fairly common   uncommon   rare   occasional   no records

 

QUICK TIPS: 1) Check for an eye ring - AHY/ASY males, SY males in spring, and some AHY/ASY females lack an eye ring, other AHY/ASY females and SY females in spring have a grayish-white eye ring, and HY birds of both sexes have a yellowish-white eye ring 2) Look at the throat and upper breast - it is gray with little to extensive black on AHY/ASY males and SY males (black more extensive on ASY than SY), gray with the throat particularly pale or even white on AHY/ASY females, yellowish-gray on HY birds of both sexes, and largely buffy yellow on SY females 3) Consider the tail - on HY/SY birds the rectrices are typically relatively narrow and pointed, while on AHY/ASY birds they tend to be broader and more rounded Note that moult limits may be present on the wing of HY/SY Mourning Warblers, following patterns similar to those of other warblers, but they are difficult to spot reliably, and therefore a poor tool for ageing. Species account updated May 2009

January - July:

ASY - M Lores and extensive throat patch black; eye ring absent; dark gray head and throat; rectrices relatively broad and rounded ASY - F Gray lores and throat; eye ring whitish incomplete or absent; gray head and throat; rectrices relatively broad and rounded       SY - M Lores and moderate throat patch black; eye ring absent; gray head and throat; rectrices relatively narrow and pointed SY - F Gray lores and throat; incomplete whitish eye ring; pale gray to gray head and throat; rectrices relatively narrow and pointed

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July - December:

AHY - M Lores dark gray to blackish; eye ring absent; dark gray head and throat; some distinct black patches separating throat from yellow breast; rectrices relatively broad and rounded AHY - F Incomplete whitish eye ring; head pale gray; throat white to pale gray, gradually fading into yellow breast; rectrices relatively broad and rounded HY - M Head and throat olive-gray, with at least a bit of black mottling on the upper breast; incomplete yellowish-white eye ring; rectrices relatively narrow and pointed HY - F/U Head and throat olive-gray to yellowish-gray (especially on throat); no black at all on breast; incomplete yellowish-white eye ring; rectrices relatively narrow and pointed

Male Mourning Warblers can be easily recognized in spring by their black lores and black throat patches. The throat patches tend to be somewhat less extensive on second-year males compared to after-second-year males, but age should not be based on this alone, especially as the size of the throat patch may appear very different depending on the angle from which it is viewed.

Photo by Barbara Frei, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), May 2007

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), May 2008

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), May 2008

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Second-year Mourning Warblers may show subtle moult limits on the wing, such as the contrast between the duller primary coverts and distinctly green-edged greater coverts in the first photo below, but note that this is not always clearly evident, as in the second photo.

 Photo by Barbara Frei, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), May 2007

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), May 2008

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The rectrices of second-year Mourning Warblers typicaly are relatively narrow and pointed.

Photo by Barbara Frei, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), May 2007

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), May 2008

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Females have partial white eye rings and lack black in the throat and usually have a limited extent of white or gray on the throat and upper breast; age is best determined by looking more closely at the plumage, especially the tail.

Photo by Barbara Frei, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), May 2007

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), May 2008

After-hatch-year males are easily recognizable in fall, as they are the only age-sex class with black lores.  They also lack eye rings and have at least some black on the lower throat / upper breast, though this may be visible only from the front (e.g. the two photos below are of the same bird).

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2007

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2007
 

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The wing of after-hatch-year Mourning Warblers is relatively uniform in colour and wear, but the moult limits on hatch-year individuals tend to be subtle, therefore the wing is of limited value for ageing.

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2007
 

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Rectrices are broad and often relatively rounded at the tip.

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2007

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Hatch-year Mourning Warblers have an olive-gray head that is relatively uniform with the back.  There is usually a partial yellowish-white eye ring.  The presence of scattered black flecks on the lower throat / upper breast is indicative of a male, but note that some males may not show any black in fall, in which case they should generally be classified as sex unknown.

Photo by Marcel Gahbauer, September 2005

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2007

  Photo by Barbara Frei, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2008

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Hatch-year Mourning Warblers typically have a moult limit between juvenile primary coverts and replaced greater coverts, but the difference in appearance tends to be subtle, and it is difficult to use this criteroin as a reliable basis for ageing.

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2007
 

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Hatch-year Mourning Warblers tend to have relatively narrow and distinctly pointed rectrices

Photo by Marcel Gahbauer, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), September 2005

Photo by Marcel Gahbauer, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2008

RETURN TO AGE/SEX OVERVIEW

Hatch-year females have an olive-gray head showing little contrast with the back, but tend to have a more yellow throat than males, and lack any black in the throat.  Some males lacking black may have a similar appearance, therefore hatch-year birds with such an appearance should generally be considered sex unknown, rather than necessarily female.

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2007

Photo by Marcel Gahbauer, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), September 2005
 

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Hatch-year Mourning Warblers typically have a moult limit between juvenile primary coverts and replaced greater coverts, but the difference in appearance tends to be subtle, and it is difficult to use this criteroin as a reliable basis for ageing.

Photo by Marcel Gahbauer, McGill Bird Observatory, August 2007

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory, August 2007

 Photo by Barbara Frei, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2007

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Hatch-year Mourning Warblers have relatively narrow and pointed rectrices, but note that differences in shape and wear are not yet as distinct as they tend to be by spring, therefore overall body plumage is often the best indicator of age and sex in fall.

Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2007

Photo by Barbara Frei, McGill Bird Observatory (QC), August 2008

RETURN TO AGE/SEX OVERVIEW