WOOD WARBLERS 
361 
Ground Warblers 
The Ground Warblers are rather larger than the Woodland Warblers, but 
considerably smaller than the Wagtail Warblers, and have comparatively 
stout legs and short wings. Their colours are largely green and bright yellow. 
They inhabit low shrubbery and are seldom seen far above the ground. 
677. Kentucky Warbler, la fauvette du Kentucky, Oporornis formosus. 
L, 5-40. Greenish above; all underparts clear yellow; forehead black, shading off on mid 
crown; bright yellow eyebrow-line extending around eye. A 
sharp black patch extends from base of bill, including lores 
and most of ear coverts, to side of neck (Figure 451). Female 
and autumn birds similar but duller, the black face mark being 
more or less veiled though still visible. 
Distinctions. Coloured much like the Prairie Warbler 
but with the black leaving only a narrow eyebrow-line in 
front of the eye instead of a largely yellow cheek, and without 
flank stripes. Somewhat similar to the Canadian Warbler 
but with back greenish instead of grey and without breast 
markings of any kind. 
Field Marks. Too rare in Canada to be identified in life by sight. 
Nesting. On or near ground in bulky nest of twigs and rootlets firmly wrapped with 
several thicknesses of leaves and lined with fine rootlets. 
Distribution. Eastern United States, not reaching the Canadian border in southern 
Ontario except as an accidental straggler. 
This species has been taken in Canada on only a few occasions. It 
can be reasonably looked for only in the most southern sections in the 
region of the lower Great Lakes. 
67S. Connecticut Warbler, la fauvette verte A gorge grise. Oporornis agilis. 
L, 5-40. A greenish warbler. Male: clear lemon-yellow below'; face and throat to upper 
breast even bluish grey with a fine white eye-ring 
(Figure 452). The female is similar, but grey 
paler. Juveniles have the grey replaced by a 
lighter huffy shade of the back coloration. 
Distinctions. This species is so like the 
Mourning and Macgillivray’s Warblers that at 
times it can be separated only with difficulty. 
Adult males, having a conspicuous eye-ring and 
perfectly even grey throat and breast, are dis- 
tinctive enough. Females may be told by the 
eye-ring and by having the top of the head 
strongly suffused with the olive of the back and 
not showing clear grey. Juveniles when they 
show the eye-ring are usually quite distinctive, 
though Mourning and Macgillivray’s Warblers of 
similar age have an indication of it. When the eye- 
ring is not conclusive evidence, the difference in 
the colour of the throat and breast, a buffy olive 
instead of an even lightening and greying of the pure yellow below, is a good guide. 
The most conclusive distinction is, however, size; a bird with wing over 2-60 inches is 
undoubtedly this species. 
Field Marks. The evenly grey throat and white eye-ring of adults and the buffy 
olive throat and buff eye-ring of the juveniles. Both this bird and the Mourning Warbler 
walk instead of hop. 
Figure 452 
Connecticut Warbler (male); natural size. 
Nesli?ig. On the ground in nest of dry grass. 
Distribution. Eastern North America. In Canada, southern Ontario and Manitoba 
west to northern Alberta. 
One of the rarest of our warblers. Its nest has seldom been found. 
It is very retiring and very local. It should be looked for on the ground 
in waste brush. 
