The Yellow-rumped Warbler has two distinct subspecies that used to be considered separate species: the "Myrtle" Warbler of the eastern U.S. and Canada's boreal forest, and "Audubon’s" Warbler of the mountainous West. This easily overlooked warbler hails from pinyon-pine and oak woodlands in the Southwest, not Virginia as its name might imply. Its black throat and gray back give it its name, but its bold black-and-white striped face is equally eye catching. Black bill, legs, feet. European Starlings, introduced in the U.S. about 150 years ago, have thrived and often join birds in the yard in flocks--much to the dismay of backyard hosts.Note that starlings in breeding plumage (left) are mostly black but upon closer look, quite iridescent. Common Yellowthroat: Small, skulking warbler with olive-yellow upperparts, bright yellow throat and breast, and pale gray belly.

They’re also a great entrée into the world of birdsong, with their pretty, wavering whistle of Oh-sweet-canada. Learn how you can create bird-friendly spaces in your garden and local community.

Wings are dark with two white bars. The Virginia's Warbler is a small, gray warbler with a big-eyed look and sports yellow highlights on the chest and under the rump. Yellow-throated Warbler I’m a wintertime visitor with a happy ‘chip’ call note (you might confuse my call with a cardinal’s). Head has black hood and throat, sharply contrasting white eyebrow and cheek stripe, and yellow spot in front of eye. The upper mandible is black and lower mandible is pink. Black-throated Gray Warbler: Small warbler, black-marked, slate-gray upperparts, black streaks on flanks, white underparts. • Somewhat shaggy throat feathers • Slightly rising “graak” call • Absent from Pineywoods; accidental in Oaks and Prairies Carolina Chickadee • Small gray bird with black cap and bib, white cheeks • Raucous “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” call • Absent to rare in Trans-Pecos, where it is replaced by Mountain Chickadee Slow weak flight, alternates periods of rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides. Underparts are yellow with gray wash on sides.

Crisp facial markings make the White-throated Sparrow an attractive bird as well as a hopping, flying anatomy lesson. Yellow-throated Warbler: Medium warbler with gray upperparts, yellow throat, chin, and upper breast, white underparts with black spots on sides. In winter, however, they're speckled white (below), thus earning the nickname "rice bird." There’s the black eyestripe, the white crown and supercilium, the yellow lores, the white throat bordered by a black whisker, or malar stripe. Wings are dark with two white bars. Legs are pink. Gray-crowned Yellowthroat: Large warbler rarly seen in the U.S. Upperparts are olive-brown to olive-gray with a grayer head, distinctive black mark between bill and eyes, and broken white eye-ring. The Audubon’s has a yellow throat; in the Myrtle subspecies the throat … Birds in Backyards is a research, education and conservation program of BirdLife Australia focused on the birds that live where people live. In breeding plumage, the eastern male is blue-gray with a white throat and belly, black streaking on the back, a black face patch, two white wing bars, black bib, and yellow … The Black-throated Gray Warbler is a striking yet monochrome warbler that wears only a tiny spot of yellow just above and in front of the eye. The yellow-rumped warbler is 5 to 6 inches long, with a sharp thin bill and slightly notched tail.

Get involved by becoming a member and taking part in our online surveys. There are 20 hummingbird species that regularly visit the United States and Canada, and while only a few of them regularly breed north of Mexico, vagrant sightings are always possible and knowing how to distinguish between similar species is useful. It hops with a twitch through vegetation, wagging its tail and picking insects from trees and shrubs as it goes.