The First and Second Records of Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) in British Columbia. By Rick Toochin. Published: June 3, 2023.

The Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) is a small passerine found breeding in mixed Pine and Broad-leaf wood, often near water, in the southeastern United States (Dunn and Garrett 1997). This breeding range extends from northern Missouri except in the northwest corner (Robbins and Easterla 1992), extreme southeastern Iowa along the Des Moines and Mississippi rivers (McKay and Hall 2020), recently in Rock County in extreme southern Wisconsin (Robbins 1991, WIBBA 2003), sparingly in northern Illinois, more regularly in the south (McKay and Hall 2020), central Illinois but sparingly in the northern half of the state (McKay and Hall 2020), central Ohio and sparingly in northern half (Peterjohn 1989b), central Pennsylvania and locally in the west but very sparingly in the east (Brauning 1992a), and western and southern Delmarva Peninsula in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia; between Chesapeake and Delaware bays, south to at least Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, and northern Brevard counties in central Florida (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992a), and the Gulf Coast, and west to south-central and eastern Texas with an isolated population near San Antonio (TXBBA 2012), eastern-central Oklahoma (Reinking 2004), Cherokee County in extreme southeastern Kansas (Thompson and Ely 1992), and southwestern Missouri (Robbins and Easterla 1992).

Largely absent from higher elevations of the Appalachian Mountains from Pennsylvania south through western Maryland, eastern West Virginia, western Virginia, eastern Tennessee, and western North Carolina (Hamel et al. 1982, Brauning 1992a, Buckelew and Hall 1994), possibly to South Carolina and Georgia. Also breeds in extreme southern New Jersey (Sibley 1997) and in Berrien County in extreme southwestern Michigan (Brewer et al. 1991, Payne 1983a).  Historically, in nineteenth century nested as far north as southern Michigan (Zimmerman and Tyne 1959) and Lake Erie shore of Ohio (Wheaton 1882). In late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, disappeared from northern part of this range, nesting only in extreme south Ohio (Peterjohn 1989b) and absent from western Pennsylvania (Todd 1940). After 1940, populations at northern edge increased and breeding range expanded northward, and expansion continues.

Outside regular breeding range, the Yellow-throated Warbler is currently expanding northward with isolated rare breeding records that have been recorded north to at least Massachusetts (Veit and Petersen 1993), New York State (Bull 1998, NY State BBA 2000, e-bird database 2021), extreme southeastern Ontario, Michigan, and Wisconsin (e-bird database 2021), and west to at least northwestern New Mexico (Hubbard 1978c) and Colorado (Andrews and Righter 1992); with 2 summer records for California, with an unsuccessful nesting record in Humboldt County in 1982 (Small 1994).

The Yellow-throated Warbler is classified as a Neotropical migrant (Curson et al. 1994). Birds are apparently resident in coastal Alabama, northern Florida, southern Georgia, and coastal South Carolina (Dunn and Garrett 1997). Birds from the eastern area of range migrate southeast to winter in southern United States, Bahama Islands, and Greater Antilles (Dunn and Garrett 1997). Individuals from the western area of range migrate southwest to winter in southern Texas and Middle America (Dunn and Garrett 1997).

Spring migration begins with birds leaving the tropical wintering grounds in late February and are generally gone by mid-April (McKay and Hall 2020). Late dates of birds last seen include February 26 in Puerto Rico (McKay and Hall 2020); March 25 in Veracruz (McKay and Hall 2020), Mexico; April 15 Bahama Island (Sprunt 1953a); April 1 in Belize (Russell 1964); April 11 in Honduras (Monroe 1968). Northward movement of eastern birds is presumably by island-hopping, then north up the Florida peninsula and along the Atlantic Coast (Dunn and Garrett 1997, McKay and Hall 2020). Western birds move up the western Gulf Coast and then in a broad front through the Mississippi Valley (McKay and Hall 2020). Report of 2 birds captured on a ship 90 km off Louisiana coast in April 1951 (Bullis et al. 1952), together with a comparison of arrival dates at the north Gulf Coast and Florida peninsula, suggest that some birds make a trans-gulf flight (Stevenson 1957b). There are no reports of large migrating flocks (McKay and Hall 2020).

One of the earliest migrant warblers, arriving on breeding grounds in late March to early April in the southern states (McKay and Hall 2020). Peak migration in Florida occurs from March 1–April 10 (Stevenson Anderson 1994b). Typical arrival dates in the north include April 5 in West Virginia, (McKay and Hall 2020); April 1 in Pennsylvania (Leberman 1988a); April 12-18 in Ohio (Peterjohn 1989b); April 8 in Illinois (Graber et al. 1983); March 17 in Oklahoma (Sutton 1967b); March 22-24 in Arkansas (James and Neal 1986).

Spring overshoot migrants north of the usual breeding range include records from Montana, Minnesota, southern Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New England, and the Maritimes Provinces, in eastern Canada (American Ornithologists' Union 1983, e-bird database 2021). In California, an average of 2 records each spring are often recorded (Small 1994).

The fall migration is quiet and inconspicuous in July (McKay and Hall 2020). Departure starts in mid-August, with most birds gone from the northern breeding areas by late September (McKay and Hall 2020). In northwestern Florida, a drawn-out migration with TV-tower kills from August 11 to October 20 (Stoddard and Norris 1967, Taylor and Anderson 1973, Stevenson and Anderson 1994b). Arrives on the wintering grounds from late August into September, but some bird’s arrival early, with record from July 11 in Cuba (Sprunt 1953a); July 15 on Bahama Island (Brudenell-Bruce 1975). Other early fall arrival dates in Central America include August 8 on the Yucatán Peninsula (Rogers et al. 1986); and on August 4 in Honduras (Monroe 1968).

Vagrant records north of breeding range during fall migration period, a pattern that contrasts with spring when species is much more regular to the north (McKay and Hall 2020). There are at least 3 records from southern New England from October 31 to November 24 (Zeranski and Baptist 1990, Veit and Petersen 1993, Szantyr et al. 1996b); several records in eastern Canada from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, as far north as Moosonee in James Bay, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia (e-bird database 2021). There is an exceptional record for St. John's, Newfoundland, of 30 birds together in a since tree on 24 October 1953 (Tuck 1968b).

The Yellow-throated Warbler winters in eastern North America from coastal South Carolina and Georgia (rare farther inland) south throughout the Florida peninsula and west along the immediate Gulf Coast to extreme eastern Louisiana; also from coastal southern Texas (Curson et al. 1994, Dunn and Garrett 1997, Sibley 2000) In eastern Mexico south along the Atlantic slope, primarily near the coast, from Tamaulipas, Mexico, to Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua, locally in the interior from Chiapas, Mexico, south through Guatemala and Honduras to north-western Nicaragua; locally along the Pacific slope from Guererro, Mexico, to Guatemala (Howell and Webb 2010). Rare winter visitor in Costa Rica, recorded on both coasts and to 1,350 m in central highlands (Stiles and Skutch 1989), and casual to Panama (Ridgely and Gwynne 1989). Two sight records in Santa Marta region of Colombia in October and December (Ridgely and Tudor 1989, Strewe and Navarro 2004).

The Yellow-throated Warbler also winters in Bermuda (Amos 1991) and throughout the Caribbean including Bahama Island, Cuba, Cayman Island, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico with occasional records east to Guadeloupe (Evans 1990a).

The Yellow-throated Warbler is not a regular winter visitor north of its established and known winter range (Dunn and Garret 1997). There are scattered records of birds remaining into December and January well north of wintering grounds from states such as Ohio in 1981 (Peterjohn 1989b) and Massachusetts at least 4 records of birds coming to feeders (Veit and Petersen 1993). There are at least 4 winter records from California between the months of December – February (Small 1994). 

Along the West Coast of North America north of California, the Yellow-throated Warbler is a casual to accidental migrant vagrant. In Alaska, there is a single photographed record adult Glacier Bay National Park September 22-24, 2015 (e-bird database 2021). There are 3 accepted records for Washington by the Washington Bird Records Committee which include 1 photographed, Twisp, Okanogan County, December 8, 2001 - January 23, 2002, (Wahl et al. 2005) 1 bird at Asotin Creek, Asotin County, October 19, 2003 (Wahl et al. 2005) and 1 bird photographed Longview, Cowlitz County, December 13-26, 2015 (Merrill et al. 2019, WBRC 2020). The Yellow-throated Warbler is an accidental migrant vagrant in British Columbia with only a couple of provincial records (Toochin et al. 2018). There are 10 accepted records for Oregon by the Oregon Bird Records Committee (OFO 2021). In California, though classified as a rare vagrant species, records predominantly occur in the latter half of May into early June and a secondary large number of vagrants occur in September into October (Hamilton et al. 2007). The timing of records occurrence in the state reflects a westward spring pattern of vagrancy is consistent with other southeastern passerine vagrant species such as Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina), White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus), and the Kentucky Warbler (Geothlypis formosa) (Hamilton et al. 2007).  There are 139 accepted records by the California Bird Records Committee with records occurring in every month of the year (Hamilton et al. 2007, Tietz and McCaskie 2020).

 

The identification of the Yellow-throated Warbler is covered in all standard field guides for North America. This species is a large warbler measuring 14 cm in length, with a wingspan of 20 cm, weigh 9.4 grams (Sibley 2000, Dunn and Alderfer 2011). Up until recently, there were 3 subspecies classified for the Yellow-throated Warbler. Variation in mitochondrial DNA is trivial compared to variation in phenotype (McKay 2009), suggesting that differences in bill and plumage arose relatively rapidly in evolutionary time and may indicate that gene flow is ongoing and extensive throughout the species' range (McKay and Hall 2020). In most field guides the nominate subspecies of Yellow-throated Warbler is called (S. dominica dominica) which is shown to have a distribution range breeding from New Jersey to central Florida and winters in the Bahamas to the Greater Antilles (Garrett and Dunn 1997). Included traditionally with this eastern group was the subspecies (S. d. stoddardi) which has limited range of extreme southern Alabama and northwestern Florida (Garrett and Dunn 1997). Adult males of this eastern group have a yellow loreal area in front of the bill (Curson et al. 1994, Dunn and Alderfer 2011). Another subspecies is called (S. d. albilora) with a more westerly range breeding from eastern-central and southeastern United States and wintering to Costa Rica, Cuba, and Jamaica. Adult males of this southwestern group have white lores in from the bill (Dunn and Garrett 1997). The Yellow-throated Warbler is an obvious species when encountered by having rather slow moving, almost nuthatch like in its feeding behaviour (Sibley 2000, Curson et al. 1994).  Overall, this species has a long looking body shape and a striking facial pattern.

 

Adults have on the crown is dark near the front of the face, then become blue-gray and extends on to the back (Sibley 2000). The wings and upper back are also blue gray (Curson et al. 1994). The wings have 2 large white wing bars, and the feathers are dark edged (Sibley 2000). There is a large white supercilium that extends from the black bill over and behind the eye (Dunn and Garrett 1997). Below this white line is a thick black line that extends from the base of the bill through the dark eye and creates a black triangular facial patch the extends up behind the eye and down onto the lower part of the neck (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). There is a distinct white arc below the eye and a white spot behind the dark triangular area of the face (Curson et al. 1994). The throat is yellow and extends down onto the upper chest (Sibley 2000). On the sides are large dark black streaks that start along the sides of the yellow and extend onto the white side of the breast (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). The lower breast to the undertail coverts is white and unstreaked. The tail is long, and the central area is blue gray with the outer 4 rectrices showing white to the inner portion of the feathers (Sibley 2000). The underside of the tail is white (Dunn and Garrett 1997). The legs and feet are dark (Sibley 2000). 

 

There are no commonly occurring warblers in British Columbia that look like the Yellow-throated Warbler that would create any confusion for observers. It should be noted that the facial pattern of the Yellow-throated Warbler is different enough that is should be easily distinguished from the superficially similar looking Grace's Warbler (S. graciae) of the southwestern United States. Grace’s Warbler has not yet been recorded in British Columbia.

The song of the Yellow-throated Warbler is a descending series of clear slurred notes, followed by 2 or more fainter, lower, and more rapid notes, often ending in a sharply upslurred note sounding like “teedle-teedle-teedle-teedle-tew-tew-tew -- tew-tew” (Dunn and Garrett 1997, Sibley 2000). The call note is a rather high, soft “chip” or “tsip” (Dunn and Garrett 1997). The flight note is a clear, high “see” note (Dunn and Garrett 1997).

The Yellow-throated Warbler is an accidental migrant vagrant with 2 provincial records. The first record for the province was a winter record of an immature male was found photographed by Tania Tripp coming to her suet feeder on Gabriola Island and was subsequently seen by other observers from January 3-25, 1998 (Bowling 1998b, Campbell et al. 2001). Unfortunately, the bird was predated by a raptor in the area and tail feathers of the carcass were salvaged (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.) A photograph of the bird, BC Photo 1613, was published in Campbell et al. (2001). The second record involved a spring migrant vagrant of an adult singing male found and photographed by Harry van Oort at 507 Downy Street, in Revelstoke on May 26, 2012 (Toochin et al. 2018). The second record fits the pattern of vagrancy found in California with southeastern passerines turning up as vagrant overshoots in late May into early June. This species has been found all over North America well out of range and is possible anywhere as a vagrant in British Columbia.

I want to thank Don Cecile for editing the original manuscript. I also want to thank Harry van Oort for sharing his photographs of the Yellow-throated Warbler he found in Revelstoke. All photos are used with permission of the photographer and are fully protected by copyright law. Photographs are not to be reproduced, published or retransmitted on any website without the authorization of the photographer.

 

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