Black-throated Green Warbler - Setophaga virens
Black-throated Green Warbler has a partial preformative molt and limited prealternate molts that may include up to three inner greater coverts. Age and sex can generally be differentiated reliably by plumage.
Quick tips
- Consider the chin, throat and upper breast - on DCB/DCU (AHY/ASY) males they are solid black (somewhat mottled in fall), on FCU (SY) males they are black but mottled, on DCU (ASY) females and FCF (HY) males the chin is yellowish white, with the throat and upper breast mottled black; and on DCB (AHY) females and FCF/FCU (HY/SY) females the chin, throat, and upper breast are yellowish-white, with little to no black.
- Examine the primary coverts - on FCF/FCU (HY/SY) individuals they are paler gray (fall) to brownish (spring) with no edging, contrasting with darker gray greater coverts; DCB/DCU (AHY/ASY) birds have a more uniformly dark wing.
- Check the shape of the outer rectrices - on FCF/FCU (HY/SY) birds they are fairly pointed and often abraded, while on DCB/DCU (AHY/ASY) birds they are broader, fairly rounded, and more likely to remain in good condition.
Species account prepared by McGill Bird Observatory (2016). Last updated by Marcel Gahbauer (Mar 2022)
- Reference (6)
- Supplemental (3)
- Contributed (10)
The molt categories displayed below may be filtered by month.
Click on any image below to bring up the side-by-side comparison tool.
Individuals not in molt
| FCJ - (HY: June - August) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownish-green above; underparts buffy | ||||||
| No images available yet | ||||||
| FCF - (HY: June - December; SY January - April) | ||||||
| Primary coverts brownish, contrasting with dark gray (F) to blackish (M) greater coverts; rectrices usually narrow and somewhat pointed, with white spots typically limited to 2-3 (F) or 3-4 (M) outer feathers; underparts largely buffy-whitish (F) or whitish with some dark mottling on the breast and throat (M) | ||||||
| M |
|
|||||
| FCA - (SY: February - August) | ||||||
| Primary coverts brownish, contrasting with dark gray (F) to blackish (M) greater coverts; rectrices usually narrow and somewhat pointed, with white spots typically limited to 2-3 (F) or 3-4 (M) outer feathers; chin yellowish and breast with black mottling (F) or chin and breast mostly black (M) | ||||||
| M |
|
|||||
| F |
|
|||||
| DCB - (AHY: June - December; ASY January - April) | ||||||
| Primary coverts dark gray, contrasting lightly with blackish (F) to black (M) greater coverts; rectrices usually broad and rounded, with white spots typically on three (F) or up to five (M) outer feathers; chin and throat yellowish and some dark mottling on the breast (F) or chin and throat mostly black (M) | ||||||
| M |
|
|||||
| F |
|
|||||
| DCA - (ASY: February - August) | ||||||
| Primary coverts dark gray, contrasting lightly with blackish (F) to black (M) greater coverts; rectrices usually broad and rounded, with white spots typically on three (F) or up to five (M) outer feathers; chin yellowish and breast with black mottling (F) or chin and breast mostly black (M) | ||||||
| No images available yet | ||||||
Individuals in active molt
| FPJ - (HY: June - August) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Similar to FCJ; some natal down remaining and/or juvenile flight feathers still growing in | ||
| No images available yet | ||
| FPF - (HY: June - August) | ||
| Similar to FCF; median and greater coverts and often the greater alula being replaced | ||
| U |
|
|
| FPA - (SY: January - May) | ||
| Similar to FCA; head and body feathers, lesser and median coverts, some to all greater coverts, and sometimes one or two tertials being replaced | ||
| No images available yet | ||
| SPB - (SY: July - September) | ||
| Flight feathers being replaced, with retained juvenile primaries, secondaries, and/or primary coverts distinctly pale brownish and very worn | ||
| U |
|
|
| DPB - (AHY: July - September) | ||
| Flight feathers being replaced, with retained primaries, secondaries, and/or primary coverts either distinctly adult (generally grayish, less worn) or intermediate | ||
| No images available yet | ||
| DPA - (ASY: January - May) | ||
| Similar to DCA; head and body feathers, lesser and median coverts, some to all greater coverts, and sometimes one or two tertials being replaced | ||
| No images available yet | ||
Applicable unknown plumage/age classes
| Molt classes | Age | Months | Key traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-FPF / UPU (FPF, SPB, DPB) | U | July - August | Undergoing preformative or prebasic molt, but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
| M-FCF / UCU (FCF, SCB, DCB) | U/AHY | June - April | In formative or basic plumage (molt completed), but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
| M-FPA / UPA (FPA, DPA) | AHY | January - May | Undergoing prealternate molt, but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
| M-FCA / UCA (FCA, DCA) | AHY | February - August | In alternate plumage (molt completed), but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
Number of species: 85
Select a species:
Canvasback
Mourning Dove
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Northern Shrike
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Bicknell's Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
Snow Bunting
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Golden-winged Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Baltimore Oriole
Pine Grosbeak
House Finch
Purple Finch
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Mourning Dove
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Northern Shrike
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Bicknell's Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
Snow Bunting
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Golden-winged Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Baltimore Oriole
Pine Grosbeak
House Finch
Purple Finch
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
