What warbler is all bright yellow (like a summer Gold Finch) (1 Viewer)

[Terry O'Nolley]

I saw one of those this past week. I got a good, long, look at him/her through my binos and all I saw was bright yellow. No red streaks no dark patches. Just yellow. All yellow. It sure looke like a warbler.

My Peterson guide shows all of the warblers (even the "yellow" warbler) as a dull, dingy yellow bird.

This bird was bright yellow and had no dark spots/patches/colorings/etc.

It looked like what Peterson showed as a Yellow Warbler except it was bright yellow instead of dinghy yellow.

Any ideas?

 

[ensis]

Yellow canary?

 

[Swift]

It could still be a Yellow Wblr, colours vary!

 

[TupeloN8]

Check out Prothonotary Warbler in your field guide. That's what it sounds like to me.
Nathan

 

[jedku]

Have you considered female Yellow Warbler? Sounds like you have ruled out a male by saying no red streaks and you are ruling out Prothonotary by saying no dark patches (would be dark winged).
Both species should be arriving into MD beginning in mid to late April according to the Field List of the Birds of Maryland, Iliff et al. I am also from Montgomery County, MD. In my experience, both species are not hard to find, especially near the Potomac & the C&O canal. But, Yellow is more common. Adult female Yellow is not dingy, but rather bright like the male, just lacking the red streaks.
Wilson's and Hooded can appear almost entirely yellow. It's early for Wilson's but possible to see Hooded now. They would likely be seen low in dense growth at or below eye level. Yellow and Prothonotary are most likely above you. Consider the habitat you saw the bird in and the behaviour such as foraging height preference & proximity to bottomland still water. These are not conclusive, but can help in IDing.
Marc

 

[Terry O'Nolley]

Have you considered female Yellow Warbler? Sounds like you have ruled out a male by saying no red streaks and you are ruling out Prothonotary by saying no dark patches (would be dark winged).
Both species should be arriving into MD beginning in mid to late April according to the Field List of the Birds of Maryland, Iliff et al. I am also from Montgomery County, MD. In my experience, both species are not hard to find, especially near the Potomac & the C&O canal. But, Yellow is more common. Adult female Yellow is not dingy, but rather bright like the male, just lacking the red streaks.
Wilson's and Hooded can appear almost entirely yellow. It's early for Wilson's but possible to see Hooded now. They would likely be seen low in dense growth at or below eye level. Yellow and Prothonotary are most likely above you. Consider the habitat you saw the bird in and the behaviour such as foraging height preference & proximity to bottomland still water. These are not conclusive, but can help in IDing.
Marc

THanks for this. I'm sure it was a female Yellow Warbler (I actually saw it in the Great Dismal Swamp which lies across the Virginia, North Carolina border).

The summer plummage male American Goldfinch brightness of it just threw me.

If I only looked a little longer I might have been able to tick it!