You, too, can identify common warblers

It's warbler season. Migration is under way, and birders everywhere try to grab a few minutes each morning to see which species arrived overnight. In the last week I've seen or heard ovenbirds, common yellowthroats, northern parulas and yellow, black-and white, and blue-winged warblers. The anticipation and excitement that comes with each new day helps me rise well before dawn.
Unfortunately, many beginning and even intermediate birders think that identifying warblers is only for experts. Nothing could be further from the truth. Of the 38 species of warblers that inhabit or migrate through the eastern United States, most are distinctively marked and relatively easy to identify. The challenge is knowing where to look. Here's a guide to common warblers that anyone can find and identify. For simplicity, I'll limit this lesson to adult males in breeding plumage.
Guide
Yellow warblers occur throughout North America in old fields, marshes, willow thickets and streamside habitats. Note the yellow body, black bill, large black eyes and rusty streaks on the breast. Territorial males sing frequently -- "Sweet, sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet!"
Common yellowthroats inhabit marshes, swamps and early successional habitats. They resemble masked bandits -- think raccoons of the bird world, a broad black mask with a narrow upper white border contrasts sharply with the bright yellow throat. The song is also distinctive -- "Witchity! Witchity! Witchity!"
Blue-winged warblers are birds of early successional habitats, old fields and thickets. A black eye line marks the bright yellow head and two white wing bars cross the blue-gray wings. Blue-winged warblers sing a simple two-note song from the tops of trees and shrubs -- "Bee-bzzzz!"
Prairie warblers are poorly named inhabitants of old fields, thickets and recovering clearcuts. They are not prairie birds. Their general appearance is olive above and yellow below with black eye lines, cheek stripes and bold streaks on the sides. The song is an ascending, buzzy -- "Zee, zee, zee, zee, zee."
The largest warbler, the yellow-breasted chat, is also the most vocal. To call its voice a song, though, is kind. Chats hoot, buzz, cackle, squawk, grunt, cluck and whistle. They skulk about in dense thickets and are often difficult to see. Their large size (about 7 inches long), white spectacles, yellow breast, olive back and white belly are diagnostic.
A brown streaky-breasted warbler spends most of its time along the banks of wooded streams. The Louisiana waterthrush bobs its hind end up and down constantly as it forages on the ground for food. Its loud clear song is distinctive, but difficult to describe.
The ovenbird, another drab ground-loving woodland warbler, is best recognized by its song -- "Teacher! Teacher! Teacher! Teacher!" It gets louder as the song proceeds.
Dividing its time between the ground and dense thickets of the forest's mid-story, the Kentucky warbler is yellow below, olive above and wears yellow spectacles and a broad black whisker stripe. Kentuckys are often heard ("Chor-ree! Chor-ree! Chor-ree!") before being seen.
One of the most striking species of the low- to mid-level forest is the hooded warbler. Olive above and yellow below, the hooded warbler's black hood surrounds its bright yellow face. Its song suggests -- "Wit-tah-wit-tah-wee-tee-o."
Black-and-white warblers are the acrobats of the warbler world. Aptly named for their distinctive black-and-white striping, these warblers climb around branches and trunks of trees much like nuthatches. The black-and-white's high-pitched song sounds like a squeaky wagon wheel -- "Wee-see, wee-see, wee-see."
American redstarts are small black birds with orange patches on the wings, tail and sides. They actively flit high among the branches and often fan their wings and tail to show off their colorful badges.
Finally, the black-throated green warbler can be difficult to see because it stays in the canopy. Look for its bright yellow face, black throat and white wing bars. And listen for its buzzy song -- "Zoe zee, zee, zee, zoe, zee."
If you've ever been intimidated trying to identify warblers, grab your binoculars and a field guide, and use this primer to get started. Identify a few species on your own, and you'll soon feel like a pro.
Send questions and comments to Dr. Scott Shalaway, RD 5, Cameron, W.Va. 26033 or via e-mail to sshalaway@aol.com