Connecticut Warbler, Central Park NYC - 9/8/2007

Images and text copyright © Phil Jeffrey 2007. All rights reserved.

An uncharacteristically cooperative immature Connecticut Warbler was found by Tony Lance in Central Park on the morning of Saturday Sept 8th 2007 and persisted all day despite some rather dubious musical accompaniment at times from very close range. It was hanging out in a mulberry tree just south of Hernshead and also foraging along the lake shoreline. I was alerted to the bird in the afternoon and got there in enough time to take a few shots, albeit with a hand-held lens. Judging from coloration and feather wear the bird is an immature - I'm not sure if it's reliable to try and judge sex from plumage differences in immatures. The classical ID points were all in evidence: prominent eye ring, large size, the fact that it walked although it lacked the pronounced gait of an Ovenbird, and the undertail coverts which from the right angle could be seen extending almost to the end of the tail. There was a faint impression of a grayish hood that was only evident from some angles in some lights, and is not obvious in the photos. What is interesting is the presence of a little brown/gray streaking on the lower breast, something that you don't see depicted in field guides.

The bird was not found the following day, to the disappointment of some that had missed it on the Saturday. This was my third Connecticut Warbler in the park and by far the most cooperative.

Phil Jeffrey, Sept 2007