Kirtland's Warbler Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesKirtland's Warbler
Male
Large steel gray-and-yellow warbler with white eye crescents. Gray above with black streaks. Throat and belly is yellow. Males have a dark mark in front of the eyes.
© Bryan Calk / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, May 28, 2019Female
Females are grayish above with black streaks. They are pale yellow below with dark spotting. Note thin white eye crescents.
© Marky Mutchler / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, May 25, 2019Female
Females can look brownish gray above. From below, females have streaking or spotting on a pale yellow belly.
© Ryan Sanderson / Macaulay LibraryIndiana, September 19, 2019Adult female, male, and Juvenile
© Benjamin Clock / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, June 08, 2013Not all videos have sound
Male
Breeds in young stands of jack pine. Males are bright yellow below and steel gray above. White wing bars are present, but often not visible.
© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, May 13, 2016Similar SpeciesPrairie Warbler
Female/immature
Prairie Warblers are smaller than Kirtland's Warbler and have a yellowish unstreaked head and back, whereas Kirtland's are gray and streaked.
© Alix d'Entremont / Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, October 02, 2016Similar SpeciesPrairie Warbler
Adult male
Prairie Warblers are smaller than Kirtland's Warblers with a yellow-olive head and a rusty patch on the back that Kirtland's lack.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, May 28, 2012Similar SpeciesPine Warbler
Adult female
Pine Warblers are smaller than Kirtland's Warblers and have a yellow (not gray) head and back. They also have a unstreaked breast unlike Kirtland's.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, May 09, 2016Similar SpeciesPine Warbler
Adult male
Pine Warblers are smaller than Kirtland's Warblers and have a yellow (not gray) head and back.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, April 30, 2017Similar SpeciesMagnolia Warbler
Female/immature
Female/immature Magnolia Warblers are smaller and have a greener back than Kirtland's Warblers.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryNew York, September 27, 2015Similar SpeciesMagnolia Warbler
Adult male
Magnolia Warblers have a solid black back and a black mask that Kirtland's Warblers lack.
© David Turgeon / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, May 23, 2017Similar SpeciesPalm Warbler
Nonbreeding/immature (Western)
Nonbreeding/immature Palm Warblers are browner and have yellow undertail coverts while Kirtland's Warblers have white undertail coverts.
© Luke Seitz / Macaulay LibraryMaine, December 28, 2016Similar SpeciesPalm Warbler
Breeding adult (Yellow)
Palm Warblers have yellow undertail coverts and a rusty crown unlike Kirtland's Warblers.
© Margaret Viens / Macaulay LibraryMaine, April 16, 2013Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
New World Warblers(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Parulidae)
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