Yellow Warbler

There are actually 2 species of the Yellow Warbler here, the migrants from the north and a resident one here called Mangrove Swallow. But they look identical except for the resident adult male who has a reddish or rust-colored head or cap. The females and juveniles look identical. Thus, I have all my photos in one gallery, Northern/Mangrove Yellow Warbler, covering both Setophaga aestiva and Setophaga petechia. And I’m pretty sure that this one is a migrant male or Northern Yellow Warbler, Setophaga aestiva, male. I have more photos of him in the gallery. And who knows? He just may have migrated here from Nashville like I did! 🙂

Northern Yellow Warbler male, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Northern Yellow Warbler

Another migrant from up north I think. The northern version males & females look like this while the “Resident Yellow Warbler” here has a female that is also the same while the resident male has a reddish-brown cap. In my gallery I just keep them all together in the Yellow Warbler Gallery. 🙂 And there I have only one photo of a resident male, seen on Rio Tarcoles.

Yellow Warbler, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Welcome Migrant! The Yellow Warbler

Is back in Costa Rica from “up north” and no longer called just “Yellow Warbler” as in the past but has a new official name of Northern Yellow Warbler – Setophaga aestiva (linked to my gallery) and what is used by eBird and iNaturalist. Some older books still say just Yellow Warbler and the Princeton Field Guide says American Yellow Warbler. I’m not sure which names are harder to keep up with, Birds or Butterflies! 🙂 They seem to both be changing frequently. This particular bird showed up on December 1 in my Cecropia Tree. Here’s two shots of him/her . . .

Northern Yellow Warbler, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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