Unusual Birds

September 19, 2001 Most unexpected catch of the day was the Yellow Warbler, pictured below. We last banded a YWAR this fall back on August 4. Yellow Warblers are very early fall migrants, and it is very unusual for us to catch any after the end of August. In fact, only seven YWARs have been banded later than 9/19 (the latest on 10/8). At least one of these very late YWARs was formally determined by Dr. Kenneth C. Parkes, Curator Emeritus of the Section of Birds of Carnegie Museum of Natural … [Read more...] about Yellow Warbler, Unknown Subspecies

The Swainson’s Warbler is a breeder in the southeastern United States that occasionally shows up in Pennsylvania.  In total, 6 individuals have been banded at Powdermill, with 2 of those occurring in 2010. Swainson's Warbler, is a southeastern US and southern Appalachian species whose breeding range is not presently known to extend north into Pennsylvania. Before the two individuals banded in 2010, our previous SWWAs were all caught in mid-May in the years 1985, 1989, and 1992, and … [Read more...] about Swainson’s Warbler

On May 4, 2008, we banded the only "Sutton's" Warbler ever captured at PARC. Sutton's Warbler is a rare hybrid between Northern Parula and Yellow-throated Warbler. She was banded and twice recaptured in May (the second time, she was observed to have a fresh brood patch). Sutton's Warbler retrices … [Read more...] about Probable Sutton’s Warbler

Captured in October 2, 2003Powdermill Nature ReserveVariant Scarlet Tanager HY Male, TopNormal Scarlet Tanager HY Male, Bottom Variant Scarlet Tanager HY Male, TopNormal Scarlet Tanager HY Male, BottomWing length of 92.0mmTail length 65.0mmExposed culmen 13.8mm,Nares to tip of bill 10.5mmBill depth at nares 7.9mm,Bill width at nares 7.5mm,Fat score 2 (on a scale of 0-3)Body mass 34.9 grams. When we removed it from the net, the top bird's light yellow-orange bill, as well as the odd … [Read more...] about Scarlet Tanager Variant or Hybird

Although we have never captured a Rufous Hummingbird at Powdermill, we have banded several in western Pennsylvania. 2007 In 2007, we recaptured the very same bird in McDonald PA and another, just 10 miles away in Burgettstown, PA.We have mentioned before about our involvement with the Hummer Bird Study Group, a cooperative banding project spearheaded in Alabama by Bob and Martha Sargent and aimed at elucidating the patterns and timing of migration of up to a dozen western Hummingbird species … [Read more...] about Rufous Hummingbird

Although we are included in the breeding range of the Prothonotary Warbler, only 7 have been banded at Powdermill. The brilliant Prothonotary Warbler is very near the northern limit of its breeding range in Pennsylvania and is a rare and extremely locally distributed breeding bird within the state, nesting primarily (and sparingly) in extensive swamps in the glaciated northwestern corner and in the Piedmont region of the southeast. The first Prothonotary Warbler was banded at … [Read more...] about Prothonotary Warbler