Blackpoll Warbler

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.