black-throated green warbler 157 



Black-throated Green Warbler 



DENDROICA VIRENS (Gmel.) Plan XIV 



Distinguishing Characters. — The yellow cheeks, bright olive-green back with 

 few or no black streaks, the largely white outer web of the outer tail-feather; 

 the black throat of the adult male and yellow or yellowish throat of the female 

 and young are the distinguishing marks of this species. Length (skin), 4.40; 

 wing, 2.45 ; tail, 1.95 ; bill, .40. 



Adult t$, Spring. — Above bright olive-green the back often with more or 

 less concealed black spots; forehead yellowish, line over eye and cheeks yellow, 

 lores and postocular streak dusky; tail margined with grayish, both webs of 

 the two outer feathers largely white, third to fifth feathers with white at end of 

 inner web; wings margined with grayish, end half of median coverts white, 

 greater coverts tipped with white forming two conspicuous bars; throat and 

 breast black; belly white usually more or less tinged with yellow; sides heavily 

 streaked with black. 



Adult &, Fall. — Similar to adult c? in Spring but black of throat conspicu- 

 ously tipped, and of sides, margined with white or yellowish. 



Young <?, Fall. — Similar to adult <? in Fall but back more rarely with 

 black, chin and upper throat yellow, not black, less black on sides. 



Adult ?, Spring. — Similar to adult t? in Spring but somewhat duller above, 

 less white in tail, in some specimens outer web of only outer tail-feathers 

 white, white wing-bars narrower; chin and throat yellow, breast black tipped 

 with white or yellowish, sides streaked with black; belly white usually tinged 

 with yellow. Resembling young male in Fall but duller in color and the more 

 worn plumage gives the black of breast a more patchy appearance. 



Adult ?, Fall. — Similar to adult $ in Spring but somewhat brighter in color 

 the black of breast more evenly and widely tipped with whitish, the black 

 streaks on sides less evident. 



Young $, Fall. — Similar to adult 2 in Fall but duller above, the breast 

 dusky yellow with little or no black. 



Nestling. — Above brown, below whitish streaked with dusky, a brownish 

 white line over eye; wings and tail as in young. 



General Distribution. — Eastern North America; north to New- 

 foundland and Athabasca; west to the Plains. 



Summer Range. — The region of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, New- 

 foundland, and west to northern Alberta and southwestern Alberta 

 marks the northern limit of the range of this species. It breeds south 

 to Minnesota, Wisconsin (Jefferson County), Michigan (Crawford, 

 Oscoda, and Iosco Counties), New York (Oneida County), Massa- 

 chusetts (Cambridge, Springfield, Martha's Vineyard, etc.), north- 

 western Connecticut and, less commonly, northern Long Island and 

 northern New Jersey; south in the Alleghenies, it breeds through 

 Pennsylvania to South Carolina. In passing to its summer home it 

 ranges west to western Minnesota, eastern Nebraska (Omaha, Flor- 

 ence, Neligh), eastern Kansas (Onaga) and eastern Texas; rare west 

 of the heavy forest area of the Mississippi Valley. 



