WOOD WARBLERS 
359 
672. Palm Warbler, yellow red-polled warbler, la fauvette k couronne 
rousse. Dendroica palmarum. L, 5-25. A dull yellowish warbler. Male: all underparts 
suffused yellow; cap reddish chestnut (Figure 449). The breast and flanks are streaked 
more or less with rufous, and a yellow eyebrow-line contrasts with dark cheeks and red cap. 
Females similar but colour subdued. Juveniles and autumn birds are greyish brown above; 
buff below with faint streaks, almost white on throat, and suffused with distinct yellow 
increasing to pure yellow on undertail-coverts. There is a blended yellowish rump-patch 
in all plumages. 
Distinctions. The yellow underparts and red cap are unmistakable in all spring birds. 
In autumn the vaguely striped underparts, browm back, and yellow undertail-coverts are 
distinctive. 
The Nashville Warbler is the only other warbler 
with a reddish cap, but it is pure yellow instead of 
only yellowish below and has no streaking anywhere. 
Field Marks. The habitual, sandpiper-like up- 
ward jerk of the tail will distinguish this from other 
w r arblers with yellow underparts. The bright yellow 
confined to the undertail-coverts, light throat, and 
vaguely striped buff breast of the juveniles will assist 
in separation of the species from comparable forms. 
Nesting. On or near the ground in boggy ground 
or sphagnum barrens in nest of coarse grass lined 
with feathers. 
Distribution. Eastern North America. In Can- 
ada, west to Manitoba, casually (?) to Alberta, and 
north to Mackenzie Valley. 
SUBSPECIES. Two subspecies occur in Canada, in the extreme east.. Nova Scotia 
to Quebec, the Yellow Palm Warbler (la Fauvette a couronne rousse de l'Est) Dendroica 
palmarum hypochrysea occurs. Westward the prevailing form is the Western Palm Warbler 
(la^Fauvette ii. couronne rousse de l’Ouest) Dendroica palmarum palmarum. 
Figure 449 
Palm Warbler (male); natural size. 
Water-Thrushes or Wagtail Warblers 
Birds of the genus Seiurus look more like thrushes than warblers, as is 
indicated by the popular names of Golden-crowned and Water-Thrushes 
that are sometimes given them. They are, however, true warblers of 
woodland habits; ground birds, walking instead of hopping; of large size 
for warblers; brown or dark olive coloration above, white below with the 
breast heavily streaked. Bills similar to those of the warblers, the greater 
size of the bird being considered (Figure 433, page 347). They may be mis- 
taken for thrushes either in life or in the hand, but by attention to specific 
characters they can be easily distinguished. 
674. Oven-bird, golden-crowned thrush, la fauvette a fourneau. Seiurits 
aurocapillus. L, 6-17. Plate LXVIII A. A large, thrush- like, ground-frequenting 
warbler. Above, uniform olive-brown, white below sharply and regularly streaked with 
dark brown across breast. A partly concealed median stripe or spot of dull yellow or old- 
gold between two brown lines on crown. All plumages alike. 
Distinctions. The partly concealed dull golden crown patch bordered with brown will 
always determine this species. 
Field Marks. Though very thrush-like, there is generally little probability of actual 
confusion between this species and the tlirushes. Its pure white throat, foreneck, and 
underparts with little or no suffusion of other colour and the sharply contrasting stripes 
rather than spots of the breast are easily distinctive. 
Nesting. On the ground, in a bulky structure of coarse grasses, weed stalks, leaves, 
and rootlets; covered over with leaves, and with the entrance at the side like an oven, 
giving the bird its specific name. 
Distribution. North America. In Canada, west to the foot of the mountains; north 
to Great Slave Lake. 
