Blackburnian Warbler - Setophaga fusca
Blackburnian Warbler has a partial preformative molt and partial prealternate molts that include most to all greater coverts, and sometimes up to two tertials. Age and sex can generally be differentiated reliably by plumage.
Quick tips
- Consider the throat - in alternate plumage it is fiery orange on all males, orange on DCA (ASY) females, and yellowish-orange on FCA (SY) females; on DCB (AHY) birds of both sexes it is orange, and on FCF (HY) birds it ranges from yellowish-orange on males to pale yellow on females.
- Examine the wing - FCF/FCA (HY/SY) individuals have dull brown primary coverts contrasting distinctly with darker fresher greater coverts; DCB/DCA (AHY/ASY) birds have a more uniformly dark wing.
- Consider the tail - on FCF/FCA (HY/SY) birds the rectrices are typically relatively narrow and pointed, while on DCB/DCA (AHY/ASY) birds they tend to be broader and more rounded; males generally have much larger white spots on the rectrices than females of the same age class.
Species account prepared by McGill Bird Observatory (2016). Last updated by Marcel Gahbauer (Mar 2022)
- Reference (4)
- Supplemental (2)
- Contributed (8)
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) | |||||||||||
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| Brownish above; pale below, with little to no orange in the face; buffy wing bars | |||||||||||
| 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 two (F) or three (M) outer feathers; throat dull yellow (F) to yellowish-orange (M) | |||||||||||
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| F |
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| FCA - (SY: January - August) | |||||||||||
| Primary coverts brown, contrasting markedly with dark gray (F) to black (M) greater coverts; rectrices usually narrow and somewhat pointed, with white spots typically limited to two (F) or three (M) outer feathers; throat yellowish with limited orange (F) or fiery orange (M) | |||||||||||
| M |
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| F |
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| 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 at least four (M) outer feathers; throat dull orange, on average somewhat brighter on males | |||||||||||
| No images available yet | |||||||||||
| DCA - (ASY: January - 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 at least four (M) outer feathers; throat orange (F) to fiery orange (M) | |||||||||||
| M |
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Individuals in active molt
| FPJ - (HY: June - July) | |
|---|---|
| Similar to FCJ; some natal down remaining and/or juvenile flight feathers still growing in | |
| No images available yet | |
| FPF - (HY: June - September) | |
| Similar to FCF; median and greater coverts and sometimes the greater alula being replaced | |
| No images available yet | |
| FPA - (SY: October - 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: June - September) | |
| Flight feathers being replaced, with retained juvenile primaries, secondaries, and/or primary coverts distinctly pale brownish and very worn | |
| No images available yet | |
| DPB - (AHY: June - 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: October - 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 | June - September | 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 | October - May | Undergoing prealternate molt, but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
| M-FCA / UCA (FCA, DCA) | AHY | January - August | In alternate plumage (molt completed), but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
Number of species: 41
Select a species:
Mourning Dove
Alder Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Great Crested Flycatcher
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Cedar Waxwing
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Lincoln's Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Golden-winged Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee 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
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Baltimore Oriole
Alder Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Great Crested Flycatcher
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Cedar Waxwing
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Lincoln's Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Golden-winged Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee 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
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Baltimore Oriole
