Warbler in Patagonia AZ (Mexican Border)

[Frugalbirders]

Keep coming back to Nashville Warbler on this one, but December would be unusual (but not unprecedented) for here.

Also, that yellow is the wrong hue and those stripes just don't seem right for Nashville.

[AlexHenry]

Orange-crowned Warbler.

Overall this bird is yellowish and olive green, with indistinct olive streaking over yellowish underparts, brightest yellow in the undertail coverts.

Nashville is also olive above, with a plain undertail and yellowish undertail coverts, but around the vent (area between the legs/near cloaca) and lower belly on a Nashville is white, and Nashville has a cleaner yellow breast and yellow throat. Nashville also has a more complete eye ring.

[Frugalbirders]

Yeah, i could see that. Just never noticed one before with such a distinctive wanna-be-a-Nashville/Connecticut/Magillivray's gray hood.

Photo search sure shows some birds with that, though. Thanks.

[AlexHenry]

8 minutes ago, Frugalbirders said:

Yeah, i could see that. Just never noticed one before with such a distinctive wanna-be-a-Nashville/Connecticut/Magillivray's gray hood.

Interesting that you mention that. There are several subspecies of Orange-crowned Warblers. The western ones are generally brighter yellow overall, whereas the more eastern ones are generally duller in color and with a grayish head that contrasts with the color of the body. 

This bird is probably the Orestera subspecies. Perhaps you are more used to Lutescens, which is brighter yellow and does not have a grayish head.

[Connor Cochrane]

26 minutes ago, AlexHenry said:

Interesting that you mention that. There are several subspecies of Orange-crowned Warblers. The western ones are generally brighter yellow overall, whereas the more eastern ones are generally duller in color and with a grayish head that contrasts with the color of the body. 

This bird is probably the Orestera subspecies. Perhaps you are more used to Lutescens, which is brighter yellow and does not have a grayish head.

What points you to Orestera. What rules out Celata. A much more defined hood. Obvious three toned body. Fairly bright yellow before the undertail. 

[AlexHenry]

Based on this https://ebird.org/pnw/news/orange-crowned-warblers-oreothlypis-celata-in-the-pacific-northwest/ description: "Orestera is the largest race, although the size differences are typically not discernible in the field. More importantly, they often present a three-color appearance – olive-yellow back, dull yellow wash on the underparts, and a light gray cast to the crown and face.  This can sometimes result in a ‘hooded’ appearance, with a yellow throat framed by the gray on the sides of the head and neck."

I usually don't pay a ton of attention to subspecies ID (unless there is something that sticks out as unusual) so I may be wrong. Definitely safe to call "Gray-headed" Orange-crowned Warbler.

Also the yellow on the underparts is pretty bright. 

[Connor Cochrane]

4 minutes ago, AlexHenry said:

Based on this https://ebird.org/pnw/news/orange-crowned-warblers-oreothlypis-celata-in-the-pacific-northwest/ description: "Orestera is the largest race, although the size differences are typically not discernible in the field. More importantly, they often present a three-color appearance – olive-yellow back, dull yellow wash on the underparts, and a light gray cast to the crown and face.  This can sometimes result in a ‘hooded’ appearance, with a yellow throat framed by the gray on the sides of the head and neck."

I usually don't pay a ton of attention to subspecies ID (unless there is something that sticks out as unusual) so I may be wrong. Definitely safe to call "Gray-headed" Orange-crowned Warbler.

Also the yellow on the underparts is pretty bright. 

I mixed them up. I thought Celata was the hooded one. Orestera is better then.  

[AlexHenry]

4 hours ago, Connor Cochrane said:

I mixed them up. I thought Celata was the hooded one. Orestera is better then.  

@Connor Cochrane I think you could be right about Celata. I'm not sure if that bird is Celata or Orestera.

Either way, it is one of the "Gray-headed" subspecies, which is probably why the bird seemed unusual, if @Frugalbirders is used to lutescens...