Eastern
UMDCF
October 6, 2012
Photo by Richard Orr
Western
Elkhorn Garden Plots
October 11, 2008
Photo by Jeff Culler
Eastern
Scrubland (Sykesville)
April 25, 2010
Photo by Felicia Lovelett
Western
Fox Chase
April 12, 2012
Photo by Kurt Schwarz
PALM WARBLER SUBSPECIES
Howard Birders – Palm Warbler subspecies requested. Attempting to distinguish subspecies for any bird is usually neither encouraged nor needed; however, Palm Warblers are an exception. Whenever possible, please specify either Western Palm or Yellow Palm Warbler and the number of each on any list.
Western and Yellow Palms are two distinct populations. Westerns breed roughly west of Ottawa, Ontario and winter along the south- eastern US coast and in the West Indies, while Yellows breed east of Ottawa and winter along the Gulf Coast. Migration timing and path- ways are different for both subspecies, but both migration routes and wintering grounds overlap somewhat.
Identification – In Yellow Palms, underparts (throat, breast, belly, undertail coverts) are bright yellow; in Western Palms, only the undertail coverts or the throat and undertail coverts are strongly yellow, in contrast to a whitish or pale yellow breast and belly.
Tim Carney, an eBird reviewer, cautions that care in distinguishing the two forms is necessary as illustrated by the accompanying photos. The images illustrate how different the same Western Palm Warbler appears depending on whether the photograph was taken (or an observation made) in shade or sunlight. Help to make all Palm Warbler records more accurate by providing photos/subspecies identification whenever possible. To encourage such reporting, keep in mind that it is possible that these two subspecies may be split into two separate species someday. If that were to happen, it would be good to have accurate records for both subspecies accumulated over as long a time as possible. Howard County Records Committee: Joe Hanfman, Russ Ruffing, Joanne Solem.
Western Palm Warbler photo taken in sunlight (first photo below) and shade (second photo). by Tim Carney
