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Henry Sowell

Vol. I · Est. 2026

Pl. CLXVIII
Field-journal plate: Black-throated Green Warbler
The Black-throated Green Warbler plate as rendered on the e-ink frame
As rendered on the frame

The Birds · Plate CLXVIII

Black-throated Green Warbler

Setophaga virens

Parulidae · Taxon 145258

Length4.3–4.7 in (11–12 cm), both sexes
Wingspan6.7–7.9 in (17–20 cm), both sexes
Weight0.3–0.4 oz (7–11 g), both sexes

Field marks

  1. Bright yellow face with a dusky eye-and-ear patch and olive-green crown.
  2. Adult male has a black throat and upper breast; females and immatures have a pale throat with reduced black markings.
  3. Olive-green back, pale underparts, and bold black streaking along the sides.
  4. Two crisp white wing bars contrast with otherwise dark wings.
  5. Compact, large-headed proportions with a short, straight, pointed bill and dark eye.
  6. Slender dark legs and a short dark tail with conspicuous white outer feathers.

HabitatPrimarily coniferous and mixed forests, with some populations using deciduous forest or coastal cypress swamps. During migration it occupies varied woodland and edges; winter habitat is chiefly the canopy of mature forest, with occasional use of secondary growth.

BehaviorActive, agile foliage gleaner that searches leaves, twigs, and branch tips for insects, frequently hovering beneath leaves and occasionally catching prey in flight. It often forages high in trees and may join mixed-species flocks outside the breeding season.

Palette

lemon yellowolive greenblackwhitecharcoal gray