Mourning Warbler - It's Warbler Season!
A bird a day keeps the chaos away
Mourning Warbler
MOUWAR
Setophaga tigrina
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Parulidae
Central Indiana, May Migration Season
Robust warbler found near the ground in thick vegetation. Yellow below with blue-gray head and olive back. Adult males show black chest patch. Females are paler gray on the head; immatures are more olive-toned with a yellowish throat. Breeds in brushy, weedy clearings within mixed or coniferous forest. Often favors raspberry thickets. Tends to stay hidden in low vegetation, so can be difficult to see. Listen for its rolling song, “churry churry churry chew.” Most similar to MacGillivray’s Warbler, but little range overlap, and Mourning has somewhat shorter tail and lacks bold white eye-arcs. Also frequently confused with Common Yellowthroat, especially in fall, but Mourning is larger, with heftier pinkish bill, and brighter yellow underparts.
For more information about identifying birds, we suggest the following websites:
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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Uniquely darker colored Warbler. Fascinating!