Magnolia warbler Dendroica magnolia

Identification Tips:

• Small, active, insect-eating bird
• Bright yellow rump
• Thin, pointed bill
• Broken white band in tail

Adult male alternate:

• Black mask
• White supercilium and broken eye ring
• Pale gray crown
• Black back
• Golden yellow underparts
• Heavy black streaks across breast and onto flanks
• Gray wings with thick white edging
• Females in alternate plumage similar but duller

Basic and immature:

• Indistinct white eye ring and supercilium
• Head grayish
• Back grayish-olive with variable amounts of black streaking (heaviest in adult males)
• Grayish band across breast
• Yellow to yellow-gray throat
• Fine to thick black streaking on flanks
• White wing bars

Similar species:

The breeding-plumage Magnolia Warbler is quite distinctive with its bright yellow underparts with thick black streaks and black mask. Basic and immature plumaged birds are more difficult to identify. The yellow underparts with streaking confined to the flanks is also found in Prairie, Kirtland's, Black-throated Green, and Blackburnian Warblers. All these species lack a gray breast band and white tail band. Blackburnian has a bold yellow supercilium. Black-throated Green has a yellow face. Prairie wags its tail and has a different face pattern. Kirtland's Warbler has darker gray upperparts.