Sharp-eyed Jim Easton, who was an active birder and photographer in the Williamsburg area, until he recently moved to Richmond, picked this western rarity "Audubon's" type out of the usual "Myrtle" type of Yellow-rumped Warblers in his new yard on Dec 17th. True-to-form, he got a terrific photo!
The breeding range for "Myrtles" is basically from New England and the Virginia/West Virginia border and upper Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota in the U.S. throughout Canada and Alaska and they winter in many places all across the continent, while "Audubon's" is rarely documented east of the Great Plains.
Though the two types are quite similar, "Audubon's" has a yellow throat patch, unlike the white of "Myrtle" and the patch is more compact...it doesn't curl up behind the cheek as in "Myrtle." "Myrtle" also shows a thin white eyeline that "Audubon's" lacks. These differences can be quite subtle on a small bird moving around quickly.
Brian Taber
