Coastal Carolina

Setophaga ruticilla HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 4.5 inches * Small, insect-eating bird * Thin, pointed bill * Feeds very actively (even for a warbler) * Often fans tail exposing red or yellow patches Adult male: * Orange-red sides of breast, wing and tail patches * Belly and undertail coverts white * Remainder of plumage black Female and immature: * Yellow sides of breast, wing and tail patches * White underparts * Olive upperparts with grayer head * Immature males begin to acquire adult male pattern in second year Similar species: The adult male American Redstart is instantly recognizable with its black and red plumage. Females and immatures can be identified by the yellow patches at the base of the tail. Yellow patches at side of breast and in wing can be quite reduced in immatures.

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Mniotilta varia HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 4.5 inches * Small, active, insect-eating bird * Long thin bill * Creeps along treetrunks and branches like a nuthatch * White supercilium, malar streak and central crown stripe * Black back with white streaks * Black wings with white wing bars * Streaked breast and flanks * Spotted undertail coverts * Black legs Male: * Black crown, cheek, and throat (throat white in Fall and Winter) * White flanks with black streaks * Immature male has grayish cheeks and white throat Female: * White throat, grayish cheeks * Buffy flanks with black streaks Similar species: The Black-and-white Warbler is perhaps the easiest warbler to identify with its distinctive nuthatch-like feeding strategy and contrasting black and white plumage. The male Blackpoll Warbler is also black and white but lacks the white supercilium and doesn't creep along trunks and branches

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Dendroica striata HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 4.5 inches * Small, active, insect-eating bird * White wing bars * Thin, pointed bill * White spots visible on underside of tail * Yellow legs Adult male alternate: * Black crown and malar streak * White face * Upperparts streaked black and white * Underparts mostly white with black streaks on the sides * Female's body plumage is similar but lacks the distinctive head pattern Basic and immature: * Greenish crown, nape and back with thin black streaks * Indistinct supercilium * Breast paler than upperparts with faint darker streaks * White belly and undertail coverts Similar species: In alternate plumage, the black crown and white face of the male are somewhat similar to the Black-and-white Warbler but it has a striped crown and a different feeding strategy (it creeps along trunks and branches). Basic (fall) and immature plumages are very dull and most similar to Bay-breasted and Pine Warblers. The Bay-breasted Warbler has black legs, buffy undertail coverts, and a less streaky breast. Pine Warbler lacks black streaks on the back, has black legs and is often yellower on the throat and breast.

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Dendroica caerulescens HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 4.5 inches * Small, active, insect-eating bird * Thin, pointed bill * Small white patch in wing can be inconspicuous in immatures * Often found in the understory of forests rather than the canopy Adult male: * Black face, throat, and sides * Remainder of underparts white * Deep blue crown, nape back and wing coverts * Immature males similar to adult males but can have a greenish wash to the upperparts and have a whitish chin Female: * Gray crown and cheek patch * White supercilium * Grayish upperparts * Dark wings and tail * Yellowish-white underparts Similar species: The male Black-throated Blue Warbler is instantly recognizable. Females are rather nondescript but the small white patch in the wing is diagnostic. When this patch is absent, look for the dark cheek patch contrasting with the white supercilium. The unstreaked underparts and lack of wing bars are also helpful field marks.

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Dendroica virens HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 4.25 inches * Small, active, insect-eating bird * Thin, pointed bill * Yellow face * Olive crown and back * Indistinct greenish cheeks * Underparts pale with yellowish tinge and black streaks on sides * White wing bars * Dark legs Adult male: * Black throat and upper breast * In fall, throat and upper breast feathers are edged with yellow Female and immature: * Plumage similar to male * Throat pale, sometimes with black spots * Breast smudged with black Similar species: The male Black-throated Green Warbler is distinctive with its black throat, yellow face, and olive crown. Within most of its eastern United States range, it is unlikely to be confused with any other species. Males of other western species are somewhat similar: Hermit Warbler has a yellow crown, Golden-cheeked Warbler has a black crown and eyeline, Townsend's Warbler has black cheeks. In fall, the yellow face of the Black-throated Green barely contrasts with the greener crown and cheeks. Blackburnian Warbler has a darker crown and cheeks and white streaks on the back. Townsend's Warbler also has darker cheeks. Hermit Warbler has a more uniformly yellow head and less streaking on the sides.

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Dendroica tigrina HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 4.25 inches * Small, active, insect-eating bird * Thin, pointed bill * Yellow rump * Black legs Adult male alternate: * Chestnut cheek patch * Yellow on throat extends across side of face and onto nape * Yellow supercilium * Yellow underparts with crisp, heavy black streaking * Belly and undertail coverts whiter than breast * Olive crown and back with black streaks * White patch on wings Basic, female and immature: * Lacks cheek patch of alternate male * Dull yellow on throat extends across side of face and onto nape * Yellow supercilium * Dull yellow to whitish-yellow underparts with fine black streaking * Belly and undertail coverts paler than breast * Olive to grayish crown and back with some black streaking * White wing bars Similar species: The breeding-plumaged male Cape May Warbler is very distinctive with its heavily streaked yellow underparts and bold face pattern. Females, and fall-plumaged birds are more difficult to identify. Some immatures can become rather grayish in fall with very dull markings. The extensive fine black streaking on the underparts and the yellow neck patch are diagnostic. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is similar but has more blurry streaking on the breast that is not so extensive as the Cape May. It also has a brighter yellow rump and a thicker bill. Palm Warblers are somewhat similar but consistently wag their tails and have yellow undertail coverts.

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Geothlypis trichas HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 4.25 inches * Small, insect-eating bird * Thin, pointed bill * Yellow throat and breast * Brownish flanks * Whitish belly * Olive upperparts * Pink legs * Considerable plumage variation across its range Adult male: * Black mask with white upper border * Bright yellow throat Female and immature: * Brownish-olive head * Broken white eye ring * Throat and breast not as bright yellow as adult males * Immature males begin to acquire the black mask in the fall Similar species: The adult male Common Yellowthroat is instantly recognizable with its black mask. Immature males often have a semblance of the mask. Females and immatures are similar to female and immature Mourning and MacGillivray's Warblers but yellowthroats have whiter bellies and lack a gray hood or olive breast band.

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Oporornis agilis HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 4.5 inches * Small, insect-eating bird * Thin, pointed bill * Yellow face and underparts * Olive upperparts * Pink legs * Considerable amount of white in outer tail feathers Male: * Black head and yellow face Female: * Yellow supercilium * Olive crown * Some birds have faint blackish hoods Similar species: The male Hooded Warbler is instantly recognizable with its black and yellow face pattern. Females are similar to female Wilson's Warblers but Wilson's are smaller and lack white in the tail.

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Oporornis formosus HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 4.5 inches * Small, active, insect-eating bird frequently found near the ground * Thin, pointed bill * Yellow spectacles * Black forehead * Black patch below eye * Entirely yellow underparts * Olive upperparts * Pink legs * Females and immatures have slightly duller face patterns than males Similar species: The yellow underparts, olive upperparts and black patch below the eye of the Kentucky Warbler are superficially similar to the male Common Yellowthroat but the yellowthroat lacks the yellow spectacles and has a white belly. Other similar warblers lack the black patch below the eye.

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