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Yellow-rumped Warbler Identification

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The Four Keys to ID

  • Size & Shape

    Yellow-rumped Warblers are fairly large, full-bodied warblers with a large head, sturdy bill, and long, narrow tail.

    Relative Size

    Large warbler; about the size of a Black-capped Chickadee

    Relative Sizesparrow or smallersparrow-sized or smaller

    Measurements
    • Both Sexes
      • Length: 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm)
      • Weight: 0.4-0.5 oz (12-13 g)
      • Wingspan: 7.5-9.1 in (19-23 cm)

Regional Differences

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. The Audubon’s has a yellow throat; in the Myrtle subspecies the throat is white. Male "Audubon's" Warblers have more white in the wing than the "Myrtle" Warbler. Female Audubon's have less distinctly marked faces, lacking the dark ear patches of the "Myrtle" Warbler. Intermediate forms occur where the two subspecies' breeding ranges overlap, such as in the Canadian Rockies.