386 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Vermivora chrysoptera (Linnaeus) 

 Golden-winged Warbler 



Plate 93 



Motacilla chrysoptera Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. Ed. 12. 1766. 1:333 

 Vermivora chrysoptera DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 84, fig. 118 



A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. p. 307. No. 



642 

 chrysdptera, Gr., meaning golden-winged 



Description. Upper parts mostly gray or dull bluish gray; the crown 

 and conspicuous wing bars yellow, the bars forming almost a solid patch; 

 a line running from the bill through the eye and spreading to a broad patch 

 on the cheek, and the throat jet black; line over the eye and a broad line 

 separating the black cheek patch from the black throat, pure white; breast 

 and belly white; outer tail feathers with white spots in their inner webs. 

 Female: Similar to the male but the yellow crown and wing patch less 

 brilliant, the black cheek and throat patches replaced by dusky gray. Young: 

 Similar to the adults but duller. 



Length 5.1 inches; extent 8.1; bill .45; wing 2.46; tail 1.94; tarsus .7. 



Distribution. Breeds in eastern North America from central Minne- 

 sota, southern Ontario and Massachusetts to Iowa, northern Illinois, 

 northern New Jersey, and in the mountains to northern Georgia. Winters 

 from southern Mexico to Guatemala and Colombia. In New York it is 

 a rare summer resident on Long Island and in Westchester county, but 

 is a fairly common summer resident locally in the highlands and in 

 various localities in the Hudson valley, central and western New York, 

 especially near Highland Falls (Mearns), Greenbush, Rensselaer county 

 (Heimstreet) , Medina and Maplewood (Short), Howland Island (F. S. 

 Wright), Irondequoit, Monroe county, and West River, Yates county 

 (Eaton), Corning (Hollister), Kenwood, near Albany (Richard), Potter 

 swamp, Yates county (Burtch and Stone). During the migration season 

 it is occasionally observed at various stations in the Hudson valley and 

 throughout central and western New York except in the highlands above 

 1 200 feet. At this season it is also more common on Long Island and 

 in the vicinity of New York City, the arrival dates ranging from May 10 

 to 17, and the date of departure from the I5th to the 2Qth of August. 



