What Am I Looking And Listening For
Georgann Schmalz
Birding Adventures, Inc.
Here is a concise, user-friendly guide to field marks and songs of selected neotropical migrants nesting in Georgia.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – grayish-brown above, white below, yellow mandible,long tail with large white spots. Rufous on wingswhen flying. “Kuk kuk kuk”staccato ending with “kakakowlp-kowlp”.
Eastern Wood-Pewee – whitish wingbars, no eye ring, yellow lowermandible does not wag tail.
Song a plaintive, “Pee-a-wee”
Acadian Flycatcher – greenish with yellowish-white eyering. Explosive “peet-suh”
Great Crested Flycatcher – olive head, gray throat, yellow belly. “Wheep” loud, whistled upscale.
White-eyed Vireo – white eye, yellow spectacles, wingbars. Song, “Quick with the beer check!”.
Yellow-throated Vireo – bright yellow throat, yellow spectacles, white wingbars. Song similiar toRed-eyed Vireo but burry and slower.
Wood Thrush – plump, large round spots on breast and belly. Flute-like song.
Gray Catbird – slate gray, black cap, rufous undertail. Mewing call. Song squeaky and not as repetitive asBrown Thrasher.
Blue-winged Warbler – yellow face and underparts with black eye line, white wingbars on blue wings.Song, “Bee-bzzz”.
Golden-winged Warbler – black throat, yellow crown and wing patch, white underparts. Song similar to Blue-winged Warbler,but more notes “Bee bzz bzz bzz”.
Northern Parula – yellow throat with bluish back, chestnut band across chest in male. “zeeeeeeee-up” buzzy upscale.
Chestnut-sided Warbler – Unmistakeable chestnut sides, yellow crown and black eye line and whisker.Song, “please, please, pleased to meetcha”.
Magnolia Warbler – Yellow belly with black breast and side streaking, white wingbars. Face black mask with white eyeline. Song similar to Hooded Warbler, but thinnerand higher pitched.
Black-throated Blue Warbler – upperparts blue, throat and sides black, white belly. Female brownish-olive with
small white wing patch. “Beer beer beer bee” wheezy, last note higher
Black-throated Green Warbler – yellow face with black throat, white wingbars. Female less black.”Zay zay zay zoo zee” wheezy.
Blackburnian Warbler – black face marking with bright orange throat. High pitched song rises up the scale andends in barely audible notes.
Prairie Warbler – yellow underparts, 2 black face marks, black stripes down sides, bobs tail.”zee zee zee zee” upscale in distinct buzzy notes.
Prothonotary Warbler – head and chest golden yellow with bluish wings, no wingbars. “Zweet zweet zweet zweet” ringing song.
Worm-eating Warbler - brownish with dark stripes on head. Song is dry trill, similiar to pine warbler.
Swainson`s Warbler – brown, with solid rusty-brown crown. High and low slurred notes. “Deeta, deeta, deeta, Whip-poor-will”, emphasis on “will”.
Ovenbird – russet patch on crown bordered by dark stripes, walks on ground.”Teach, teach, teach, teach” crescendo
Louisiana Waterthrush - brown, whitish eyebrow extending well past eye, striped underparts, white throat. Song similiar to Swainson`s Warbler but ending trails off softly and twittering.
Kentucky Warbler – black moustache, yellow eye ring, yellow underparts. “Churry, churry, churry” rolling.
Hooded Warbler – black hood around yellow face and forehead, white tail spots. Female lacks strong hood. “Weeta-weeta-weeteo”.
Canada Warbler – yellow underparts, black necklace, yellow spectacles. Rich and variable warbler with sharp chip notes at beginning and end.
Scarlet Tanager - bright red with black wings and tail. Female yellow-green. Beak smaller than summer tanager.
Hoarse robin-like song, “chip burr” call.
Summer Tanager – entire body red, no crest. Female olive and yellow. “Chicki-tucki-tuck” call, song similiar to Robin`s but higher pitched.
Painted Bunting - blue head, greenish-yellow back, red underpartsand rump. Female greenish-yellow. Rich and varied warble, sharp chip note.
Orchard Oriole – rusty orange underparts with black head,wings and tail. Female olive green, imm.male olive green with black bib. Song fast varied whistles downslurred at end, with chatter notes.